Assassin's Creed: Generation Y (discontinued)
by MasterAssassin2012
Summary: To the outside world, I'm seen as an ordinary, innocent eighteen year old girl. But I'm more than that. I've been called murderer, angel of death, executioner, daughter, sister, niece… All of these names describe me perfectly. But when one choice has unintentional consequences, I find myself choosing between my friends…and the Brotherhood. CURRENTLY BEING EDITED!
1. No Going Back

_**Author's Note:**_

**_This is going to be the only Author's Note that I write before a chapter. This is revised in past tense with more descriptions, and better fight scenes, and more character depth and interactions. I will be posting a "DATE" and "LOCATION" every time that the month changes. _**

****_That is all, now, enjoy the revised edition of Assassin's Creed: Generation Y_**  
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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE: <strong>

**No Going Back**

**LOCATION: NEW YORK **

**YEAR: 2011**

"Why can't you come to the concert tonight?" My best friend, Casey, complained as I rummaged through my locker for my books—my school issued lap top rested at the bottom of my locker.

I bit my lip as I grabbed my lap top, Astronomy and Business Law books and folders. "Family issues." I muttered.

Casey huffed and put her hands on her hips. I shook my head, closed my locker and leaned against it. "I tried to get out of it but my parents aren't budging." I answered truthfully.

"C'mon, it's Coldplay! Your _favorite_ band! You and I have been planning this for weeks!" Casey reminded me. I had been looking forward to seeing Coldplay in concert, but I couldn't get out of this.

I frowned and really, really, _really_ wanted to bang my head against my locker. "Casey, I tried okay? Maybe next time they come into town we can go," I groaned.

Before Casey can press the matter further my other best friend, Tanner, walked over. His sandy blonde hair was array (as was his usual style) and his pale blue eyes gleamed in the fluorescent lights. "So are we ready for the most awesome weekend ever?" He smiled as he put both hands on my shoulders. I bit the inside of my cheek as Tanner applied pressure to my left shoulder.

Casey frowned at me. "Can't go to the concert Tanner. Family issues and I can't get out of it." I explained in clipped tones, trying to not scream in pain.

Tanner was almost as big a fan of Coldplay as me. I tried to offer a sympathetic glance (as best as someone in pain could manage) but I know they were upset. I saw the hurt in Tanner's eyes.

"Hey," I said as I removed Tanner's hands from my shoulders, "why don't we get together next weekend? I know there is a new movie coming out and I want to go see it. It's supposed to be bigger than _Twilight_." I said with a sincere smile.

Casey's face lit up at that and I couldn't help but smile. "I can get the tickets tomorrow." I offered as I hefted my books in my arm.

Tanner rubbed the back of his head (messing up his hair even more). "So what movie are we going to be seeing?"

"_The Hunger Games_." I answered.

Tanner looked at me for a moment then nodded, a smile forming on his innocent face. "Oh yeah, with Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson?" Tanner asked us.

I nodded (reopening my locker because I forgot to grab something) and grabbed my dark grey hooded jacket. Tanner shook his head at me. "It's the start of September! How can you be cold?" Tanner exclaimed.

I closed my eyes for a minute, threw my jacket over my shoulder, closed my locker, and turned to face my friend. "Well, I am not going to stay to hear the debate over whether it is appropriate to wear a jacket right now, I have to go. If I am late one more time, Mrs. Locks is going to give me detention."

I waved as Casey left for class and started the rather long walk to seventh period. Tanner remained dutifully by my side the entire time. "C'mon you have to admit it is rather odd to have a jacket already." Tanner explained as he walked with me. He was wearing a dark red t-shirt with some design on it, and dark tan cargo shorts and running shoes. I noted the muscles on him and came to the conclusion that he must have discovered the gym—Tanner wasn't pudgy in the slightest. He was always tall and lanky—kinda like a bean pole.

I looked at him with a smile. "Tanner, you know as well as I do that Mr. Garret's classroom is like an icebox." I said with a little hint of sarcasm. Mr. Garret _always_ kept his classroom atfreezing temperatures.

Tanner ruffled my hair a little bit and darted off for Health Class—before I could properly beat him up for messing up my hair—as we passed the Health Department.

Unfortunately, I had to make a pit-stop to the bathroom because Tanner managed to mess up my hair until it resembled a rat's nest. I set my books on the sink counter and ran my fingers through my thick, wavy, dark bronze hair. After I was finished, I took a second to examine myself: chocolate brown eyes that insisted innocence, a slender face with a soft chin, and a lean body that was only achievable with years of training. I usually wasn't caught dead without a hoody of some sort in public, and blue jeans were my de facto choice for pants. Sneakers completed my ensemble, but I looked really plain for someone in my school. That made it easy to blend into the crowds, though I had no idea how some of the teens that hated my guts could lock onto me in such a short time. They were smarter than Templars, at least.

I continued walking to Business Law. I slid into my seat just as the warning bell rang. Taking out my lap top, I opened my emails to find one from my aunt.

_Emma,_

_We are heading out tonight._

_—Heather_

I closed my email as the final bell rang and we waited for ten minutes before Mr. Garret walked in from the Business Department offices that were just outside of the second entrance/exit from the classroom.

Mr. Garret was in his early forties and was balding rather quickly. Probably from all the kids he had to deal with.

Mr. Garret wiped his forehead with his hanky. "Okay class, I am sorry that I am late…again. I just had to talk with Mr. Pines about a mix up in scheduling."

I didn't care and I started doodling on an empty notebook page. We were just talking about the difference between murder and manslaughter (where I promptly tried to hide my smirk), when Kyle Orson walked in with a sweaty face and a late slip. "Sorry I'm late Mr. Garret, I was helping Coach Harter with moving some equipment."

Mr. Garret nodded and waited as Kyle slid into the chair next to me. "Hey Emma!" Kyle whispered.

I put my jacket on. "Hi Kyle," I smiled as he took his notes out and tried to catch up. "Need to see my notes?"

Kyle blushed and I shook my head. "Yeah, are you okay with that?" he asked.

I grinned and handed him my notebook. "Go ahead," I said as I opened my lap top and starting taking notes on that. "It's not a problem."

Mr. Garret cleared his throat and the entire time he continued to lecture about Torts and the difference between manslaughter and murder (and I was trying to hold in my laughter). Thankfully, before he could give us our homework, the seventh hour bell rang and I quickly made my way to Astronomy with Miss Barnes. I passed Casey and she sent a smile my way. I returned the smile and I entered the class to see the Smart Board activated. Notes. Great.

I sat down in the back (taking my jacket off because Miss Barnes' classroom was as hot as a sauna) and as the last student walked in; Miss Barnes started the lesson right away. We started to talk about constellations and how they got their names. I already know a few constellations so I dozed in and out of consciousness the entire hour. I took notes till the end of the hour and when the final bell rang, I quickly made my way to my locker and Casey was already standing by it with her bag slung over her shoulder, her face set in a worried expression.

"How is it that you never get any homework?" I asked her as I open my locker, not wanting to reveal that I could read her face so easily.

She shrugged. "Luck I guess. Speaking of which…you don't think I can continue my lucky streak with your parents?" She hinted. She _really _wanted me to go that bad?

I put my books and folders in my locker, grabbed my helmet and slam the locker closed. "Sorry Casey. She won't budge. Even my big brother and little brother have to come," I admitted.

Casey frowned. "Harsh. Going to see your grandparents?" Casey asked as she followed me out to my bike.

I slung my pack over my shoulders. "No. Some family is flying in from Italy. Since I am the only one in the family who can speak fluent Italian—aside from my father and aunt, I have to come. My younger brother is learning Italian too so it is a good idea for him to tag along." I explained as we walked to the parking lot.

"Damn, you're really close to your family..." Casey muttered as she put her sunglasses on. She looked like she belonged to California some days, and today was one of those days. Dark blonde hair fell gently past her shoulders, cerulean blue eyes sparkled with mischief whenever she had something exciting on her mind, stylish clothes that'd make a lot of the self-proclaimed "popular" kids at our school drool (and did), and a very slender frame that'd fit in with the Californians on the beach. She was, in (almost) every sense of the word, killer.

I had to smile and I discreetly put the Bluetooth into my ear and turned it on, waiting for Heather or anyone else to call me. Casey and I walked to my bike. When we arrived, Casey whistled. "Nice bike. When did you get it? Where did you get it? What model is it?" Casey asked, her questions stringing together.

I smiled as I put my helmet on the seat. "I got it last week, my father got it for me as an early graduation gift, and I think if I am not mistaken it is a CBR1000RR Honda, sleek dark grey body paint." I answered as I threw my jacket on and mounted the bike expertly.

"I wish my family was rich." Casey muttered as she admired my bike. She wasn't an enthusiast like I was, but she still seemed awed by the fact that I could afford just a luxury.

I offered a shrug as I put my helmet on and flip the mask up so she sees my eyes. "Invest wisely I guess. My dad is responsible for that. Hey, sorry about ditching you both tonight. Maybe next week will make up for it." I said, my voice slightly distorted by the helmet.

Casey waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Be careful on that thing," Casey warned me.

I nodded and put my facemask down and revved the engine and backed out of the parking space. I sped out of the parking lot and I hit the Highway at 100mph. Soon traffic began to thin out as I left the inner city and I pressed a hidden button on my helmet and my Bluetooth activated.

There was some static, and then a deep booming voice entered my ears. "_Emma, where are you? Your Bluetooth was activated then you went dark. Did you run into trouble?!"_ Derek nearly shouted. I winced and almost swerved off of the road.

"Christ Der! I'm fine! I was just talking about motorcycles with Casey again; thought I would spare you of that boredom." I answered as I weaved in and out of traffic.

Derek growled at the use of my nickname that I came up with when I was little and couldn't say "Derek" properly. "_Did you get Heather's email?_" Derek asked in an irritated tone.

I grinned. "Yeah, I got it in class. What are we supposed to do tonight? Recon? Assassination?"

"_A little bit of both." _I could almost _see_ him smiling at the words.

I smiled under the helmet as I took the exit off of the Highway. "Excellent! I have to go, I'm almost home."

The link went dead and I drove home in silence. I make a right onto a newly paved road and made my way to my family ranch. When I pull into the driveway, I saw Derek out in the barn with Spirit and Aquila (our horses).

I turned my bike off, removed my helmet, and dismounted the vehicle. "Sorry about ruining your evening." Derek muttered as I passed him, taking my bike to the garage.

I shrugged as I lowered the kickstand and leaned against the bike. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault Warren is making a move tonight." I smiled.

Derek shrugged and I put my bike helmet on Erik's work station. My dad always spoiled us. But we saw all the bikes and cars as useful tools rather than luxurious gifts. "So, what happened today?" Derek asked as he looked at my bike.

I looked around the barn. We had another one for the horses. "Got some grief for ditching my friends, _again_. I promised them that I would make it up to them with a movie next week…"

Derek shook his head; his dark brown hair almost covering his eyes. "Yeah, I remember those days. Glad I graduated though." He smirked.

I didn't react and swiftly, I nailed a sucker-punch in his gut and I heard the air leave his lungs. "As am I. Now I don't have to compete with you." I smirked as I shook my hand out.

"That's a low blow sis," He forced out his mouth as he clutched his stomach.

"I learnt from the best," I chuckled.

We heard the familiar crunch of shoes on gravel and we both turned to see Heather with her arms crossed over her chest. Her face set in a near permanent scowl. "C'mon you two. Get armed and meet at the Tower."

"Thought we had to split up. Safety precautions." I asked her, totally confused by her email.

"I sent that email as a red herring in case our emails are being watched." She muttered as she flipped her hair. Heather was my aunt on my mom's side and sadly, I could _barely_ stand being around her some days.

I swallowed a snippy comeback and I put my jacket on. I walked on Heather's right while Derek walked on her left. He snuck a look behind her back and sent me a look and I shrugged a response to him.

"Ten minutes." She reminded us as she went to her own room to grab her gear.

Derek and I walked upstairs and enter our own rooms. I closed the door and walked over to my bookshelf, move my favorite books, _Eon: Dragoneye Reborn _and _Eona: The Last Dragoneye_ apart to reveal a hidden compartment with the Assassin Insignia carved into the wood.

I pressed the button and I watched the bookshelf move into the wall then the wall turned around to show an altar of weapons. I took my jacket off and strapped the twin hidden blades onto my forearms and flicked my wrists to make sure they still worked. I reached for my dagger sheath and strapped it to my left thigh.

When I was satisfied that they are in good working condition, I grabbed my Syrian dagger and sheathed it on my leg. I strapped on the throwing knives over my right shoulder, and put my jacket back on and put the hood up; my face and hair hidden, aside from a few loose strands escaping. I looked at the alarm clock that rested on my bedside table. Five minutes. I pressed the Assassin Insignia again and the bookshelf returned and settled into the wall.

"Emma! Derek! We need to go!" Heather shouted from the first floor.

I hurried downstairs with Derek on my heels. "What about Erik?" I asked as I leaped the last three stairs, suddenly remembering my half brother.

Heather waved my concern off. "He's already at the Tower. We will meet him there," Heather explained as she put her hood up.

Now we were equals. When we're Assassins, we're equal in rank and skill. But when we weren't Assassins, Heather portrayed herself as my step-mother. She even had a fake diamond ring and knew almost everything about my father.

The three of us hopped into the 2011 Jaguar XJR and sped off towards the inner city. I wasn't even home for more than fifteen minutes! _Thank God that I didn't have homework tonight…_

"Remember, stick to the shadows. Warren is going to have guards all around the building." Heather reminded us as she pulled onto the main Highway.

Derek and I nodded. Even though we were Master Assassins, we needed to be careful. "We understand. One of us will send an eagle call when we have completed what you have asked us to do." I answered promptly.

Heather inclined her head and I caught a glimpse of her mahogany brown hair in her white hood. I preferred a dark grey hood so that I blended in better. But soon, when I turned eighteen (next month) I would be getting two tattoos and a white hooded jacket. One on the back of my neck of the Assassin Insignia and the second tattoo would be on my left forearm with the Assassin symbol with an intricate design surrounding it.

The car slowed as we exited the Highway and entered the main city. A few minutes of driving, we entered an alley and I saw a few thugs that smiled and nodde at us. The Underground worked with us and we paid them enough to stay on our side. One thing was more precious than money to these men and women. Protection.

Heather stopped the car and Derek and I (grabbing a facemask) got out. Victor, our "Homeboy" as he liked to call himself walked over and put a friendly hand around my shoulder. "Hey there Assassin. Heard we are to cause a bit of a ruckus so you can get into Abstergo." He smiled.

I nodded. I rarely spoke on missions.

"C'mon now, not a hello?" Victor frowned.

I glared at him. Under the hood my eyes looked pure black and Victor cringed. "Sorry _amico_." I raised an eyebrow and he smiled. "I learned Italian when I was in Italy. How do you think I can get away with so much crap?" He grinned as he ruffled my hood—trying to mess up my hair.

I shrugged and I waited for Derek to secure the bikes that we had hidden behind a few dumpsters. "Okay, we can start the mission," Derek said as he puts a mask over his mouth and nose. I did the same.

I heard Victor chuckling quietly. "Man, keeping yourselves a secret," Victor muttered. "What's the point if they are going to see you de-hooded at one point or another?"

We ignored Victor and turned to Heather—who rolled the window down. "I will be waiting at the Tower to hear from you. If you succeed and can't make it to the Tower, send a pigeon my way, or if you are close enough, an eagle call."

We nodded and she took off down the street.

When Heather was out of sight, Derek placed a hand on my shoulder. "Ready little sister?" Derek asked.

"I am only younger than you by two years!" I snapped.

He chuckled and Victor broke up our conversation and started talking strategy. "Okay now, so Thomas and Frank can start a street fight in front of the main building. Bring in Trent and Keith with blank shots in their guns and we should have the cops and the entire security team from the Abstergo building trying to defuse the situation."

My jaw opened and I was glad that the mask was covering it. I forgot that Victor was once a University genius-turned Gang Leader. Back when he was a Professor, he was known as Morris Victor.

"Sounds like a plan. Be sure to check your men's guns. The last thing we need is to bring Jeff and Richard into this." Derek muttered.

I shivered. Richard and Jeff, the Assassin's Attorney's. We had to see them once a week to make sure their loyalty remained to us. I hated them. That was why I also dreaded next month. When I turned eighteen, I was legal and they would have to defend me—and I wasn't exactly on their good side at the current moment. Something about slandering their creditability during a routine check up with them might have put me on their bad side…

"So are we just going to stand here or are we going to start this?" Victor chided.

Derek looked to me and I nodded. I may be younger than Derek and Heather, but my status was what made me their superior. I was wiser (somewhat) and my skills greater, but unlike my fellow Assassin's who are at my level and made decisions on their own, I would rather have my family and comrades input.

"Go Victor," I whispered.

He dialed a number on his cell phone and muttered orders quickly into it. Soon the three of us see Thomas and Frank running up to the Abstergo building, shoving each other.

"I chose those two because they always fight each other. Thought I would be able to channel that raw energy into a diversion," Victor mutters. "At least they would be doing something useful."

"Your instincts proved right," I noted.

He smiled and Derek looked at me. "C'mon," I growled as we scaled a building and leaped from edge to edge. We neared the building and the "fight" below us escalateed according to plan. Blank rounds were fired, citizens were running around scared. Perfect. Just as Victor said, all the Security Guards ran out of the building and Derek helped me up to the roof of the Abstergo building.

"Wouldn't it be cool if this was the head building? But that is in Italy," Derek sighed as he unlatched the air duct.

I rolled my eyes. "We should count ourselves lucky that Lucy is in Rome with Shaun and Rebecca. And we need to count our luck that this is working."

Derek nodded and slipped inside the duct. I heard a few grunts and groans but when it was silent for five seconds, I heard Derek's voice. "All clear Em!" he hissed.

I took a deep breath and jumped into the duct. I landed gently on soft carpeting and I looked around to realize that I am in an office. That had two dead guards against the wall. "Warrens?" I asked, hopeful.

Derek shook his head. "It's on the other side of the building." Derek pointed at the double wooden doors. I could faintly make out the Templar Cross etched into the wood.

Derek touched the door handle with his hand and looked back at me then at the door.

"Once we go through that door…there is no going back." I whispered.

Derek nodded and gently turned the door knob.


	2. The Operation

**CHAPTER TWO:**

**The Operation  
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><p><em><strong>Previously in Assassin's Creed: Generation Y:<strong>  
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_"Once we go through that door…there is no going back." I whispered._

_Derek nodded and gently turned the door knob._

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><p>Derek turned the knob on the door. It silently swung open and we both crept into the hallway. I looked around quickly and noticed that the walls were pretty plain and boring. The only thing to break up the whiteness were a few framed pictures of Templars, starting with Robert de Sable during the crusades, to Rodrigo Borgia, and finally, ended with Warren Vidic—even though he wasn't the actual Grandmaster of the Templar Order. <em>I <em>didn't even know who the head of the Templars was.

The only sound in the hallway was our breathing and heartbeats as we snuck through the vacant hallways. There were a few lights on (enough to see in front of us) and every time we saw shadows, heard voices, or saw a camera, Derek and I froze in our spot.

Derek tapped my shoulder. "We're getting really good at this," he grinned. His dirt brown eyes glinted with adrenaline.

I whimpered quietly as I placed my index finger to my lips and urged him to be quiet. Derek nodded and made a zipping motion across his mouth. I shook my head as I rolled my eyes and continued our painfully slow trek to Warren Vidic's temporary office.

Derek stopped again and lowered his mask. "Em, we're getting close," Derek whispered hoarsely.

I agreed with him. The office cubicles were getting thinner and we had taken a lot of turns into smaller hallways and it seemed as though our distraction down on the street worked a little _too well_. Security _never _left this part of the building.

I stood up and peeked around the corner to find the hallway that led to Warren's office empty. I turned to face my brother. "We have less than five minutes to hack his computer, get the files, upload them to our computer and then to Rebecca's," I whispered to Derek.

He nodded and we made a mad dash for the doors and I crouched down to the locks and checked to see if it was wired to an alarm (naturally it was) and I unwired the alarm. We walked in and I took watch at the door and windows, pacing occasionally. I glanced down at the windows and saw that the police and security from the building were starting to disperse.

I turned my head at my brother. "Hurry up Derek! Four minutes," I hissed as I heard the elevator moving up to our level.

Derek nodded and his hands were flying across the keyboard. When he found the file, he removed a flashdrive from his pocket and plugged it into the computer. I kept my muscles tense as deep voices started echoing through the hallways. "Der!" I hissed. Derek looked up then feverishly started typing again.

Derek pulled the flashdrive out of the computer and shut it down, alerting me to the fact that we had the files. Derek made the office look like two Assassins never were in the room and we both plastered ourselves against the door.

"What are we going to do?" Derek hissed as he lowered his mask.

I peeked my head around the corner and two Abstergo security agents had placed themselves at the end of the hall. I looked back at Derek and made a slicing gesture across my throat. He inclined his head in understanding. We crept out of the darkened office and silently placed ourselves behind the agents. I placed my hand over my agent's mouth and my left hidden blade entered his abdomen. He moaned softly as his life ebbed away and when he was dead, I placed him against Warren's door.

"That's going to be obvious that we were here," Derek replied quietly as he did the same. "And I just finished making his office look all nice. Heather is gonna kill us. She implied that we kill no one."

I frowned as I turned the walkie talkie off that the dead agent had on him. "Rest in peace," I muttered to the agents.

"Em!" Derek hissed.

I glared at him. "It's not like we have a lot of options at the moment!" I whispered back, ignoring his reminder about Heather's warning. Derek gestured for me to start walking and after dodging attack dogs and security, we managed to get to the air duct from which we entered and Derek hoisted me up into the duct and I pulled him in. Just as Derek placed the metal grate back into place, more agents ran under us, I caught snippets of their conversation and came to the grim conclusion that they must've discovered the bodies.

Derek and I made our way to the roof in silence and I was the first one to enter the cool night. Derek just got out and placed the second grate back in place when he looked at me. "How much time do you think we have before they realize that we were here?"

I opened my mouth to answer, until I heard the roof door rattle and a few bangs on it. "Two seconds," I grumbled as I looked at the door and gave it the one-fingered salute.

Derek and I jumped just as the first of the security agents burst through the door. We remained in the shadows (as best as we could) as we leapt from building to building. We stood over the alley from which we started from and I saw Victor pacing frantically. We shared a glance then leaped to the ground, startling Victor.

"What happened?" Derek asked as he brushed his shoulder off of imaginary dirt. I was trying to not grunt in pain as the impact rolled through my body.

"Frank," was all Victor said.

My eyes widened. "He got arrested?" I asked.

Victor nodded as he rubbed his face over and over. "Damn straight. He had six warrants out for his arrest! I should have known. The Homeboy Gang doesn't let any criminals in. We should have checked his background."

"Do you want him back?" I asked.

Victor sighed. "Yeah, I do. But where am I going to find a half decent Attorney to defend his sorry ass?" Victor asked. Derek and I gave Victor the numbers for Richard and Jeff as soon as Victor was done talking.

Victor looked at me. I knew he was surprised. Normally, we offered protection. But I was giving him more than what we normally gave.

"We need to meet Heather at the Tower," Derek reminded me.

I nodded and he escorted me to the bikes he hid before we entered the Abstergo building. "Do you think you can ride in the city?" Derek asked me in a taunting voice.

I mounted the bike. "I can handle it, Derek," I glared at him.

Soon we were speeding through the city at high speeds when we heard sirens wailing behind us. I took a glance behind me and I saw the familiar blue and red lights of the New York Police. "Derek!" I screamed.

He turned his head and I saw his eyes widen. "Bank left! Hard!" he ordered.

I did as told and I found myself speeding through an alley. I turned my lights off and I drove blind right behind Derek. We stopped in the shadows as the police drove past. "How close do you think we are to the Tower?" I panted as I lowered my mask.

The Tower was the tallest building in New York, which is the Empire State building. "We should be fairly close. Send Heather an eagle call and let's go home," Derek whispered as he lowered his hood and ran his hand through his hair a few times.

I nodded and I sent a loud and piercing eagle call. I knew Heather and Erik heard it when we saw a flare a few hundred yards away from us light up the night sky.

Derek and I spun our bikes around and raced home (avoiding the cops easily). We pulled into the driveway and we both saw a light turned on in the living room and a shadow standing in the window, watching us. Dad must be home from the hospital! "Dad's home, I can't wait to see him!" I whispered, trying to hide the joy in my voice.

"Me neither," Derek smiled.

Ever since our father's health took a rapid decline, Heather had him going to the doctors at least twice a day. Our father was one of the most respected Masters in the Order. He was the one that the Mentor went to whenever there was upheaval within the Order.

We put the bikes in the "shop" (which is just another part of the barn that Erik claimed as his own). Erik was going to have our heads for scratching the paint. He was pickier about his bikes then he was with his training. He was a year younger than me and had not reached the rank of Master Assassin. Derek and I walked into our home to see a fire flickering in the fireplace.

"Emma, Derek, is that you?" our dad's feathery voice called out.

My heart starting beating a mile a minute. "Yeah," we both answered as we lowered our hoods.

I heard my dad laugh quietly. "Go upstairs and change. I've missed you both… so much," he said as he walked around the corner. I noted instantly that he looked healthier. My heart swelled at the hope and I saw my father's eyes twinkle with that familiar spark that I always saw when he was happy or had good news.

Derek (seeing the spark in our father's eyes) and I raced up to our rooms and changed. I changed into black fleece sweatpants and a white tank top and hid my weapons in the altar in my bookshelf. Derek was already downstairs, talking with our dad about his day and mine apparently. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of hot chocolate that my dad no doubt prepared.

I silently walked into the living room where I saw my father, a man of about forty-five, with dark brown hair that was always array and piercing chocolate brown eyes. When he sensed my approach, he politely cut Derek off, stood up, and hugged me.

"I've missed you so much, Emma." he whispered, his stubble tickling my cheek.

I set my mug down on the end table, not wanting to burn him and hugged him back. The last time he hugged me like this was when—well _never_ actually.

Derek cleared his throat and I glared daggers. He cringed at the look, but soon relaxed. "So father, have you been talking with the Italian branch of the Order?" Derek asked. _Derek, that's the last thing we need to be talking about right now…_

Our dad sat down and stroked his stubble. "Indeed. Shaun Hastings says that Abstergo has taken a new course. They want to retrieve a new Piece of Eden."

We both stared at him. _Piece of what?_

My father nodded as he looked at our confused faces. "I know you have been kept in the dark about that and I'm glad, but whatever they found before Clay's death, it must have set a chain reaction. We barely managed to set up communication with Lucy Stillman in Abstergo, but we can barely get to her."

I wanted to ask more but Heather and Erik walked in. I keep my mouth shut as Heather kissed my father on the cheek lightly. Erik glared at me and Derek. He saw the bikes.

Heather looked at the three of us. "Children, why don't you go to bed? Emma and Derek had a rough time, being chased by the police and dodging Abstergo's guards," Heather interjected, shooting me a knowing glare. I glared back.

"I'm _not_ a 'child'," I spat at her. My father tensed and I sighed. "Sorry, _aunt _Heather."

Our father looked at us after I apologized. I forgot, back in his day he didn't have to worry about police chasing him. I shrugged with the meaning _"It was nothing serious". _Derek, Erik and I walked upstairs. I opened my door and close it as I sit on my soft bed. I took a picture of my mother and looked at her. I had her dark bronze hair, that much was certain. My eyes came from my dad.

_I wish you were here with us. You would know what to do;_ I thought to myself as I hugged the picture. I put the picture back on the bedside table and my cell phone went off. I checked the number and see it was Casey.

"Hello?" I answered as I leaned into my pillows.

"_Concert…unbelievable…amazing!" _I barely caught the words with the static or the loud noises that were probably the fans.

I frowned as I tried to understand a single word. "Casey I barely understand you…you're breaking up!" I responded as I sat up.

The static faded and I heard Casey clear her throat. "_Sorry, the concert just let out. Oh my god Em it was amazing! I got an autograph from one of the band members! My life is complete!"_ Casey shouted through the loud crowd. _"And that track meet is tomorrow after school!"_

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Hey, sorry to ruin your party, but I'm spent. Family was rough and Erik didn't learn a thing. Can we talk tomorrow at school?" I asked, the lie smoothly slipping from my mouth. "Thanks for letting me know about the meet." Was the only truthful thing that came out of my mouth.

"_Sure, no problem! I have to find Tanner anyway…" _Casey hung up before she could finish her sentence and a minor headache pounded its way through my head.

I hung up the phone (tossing it on the bed-side table) and I dropped my head onto the pillow. I wanted sleep to come, but the fact that my dad looked better has me wondering. Has his illness been cured? I drifted in and out of sleep when a soft knock came from my door.

Opening my eyes, I sat up. "Come in," I yawned as I stretched.

Erik walked in with a solemn face. "Erik! It's…" I looked at my clock, "…it's two in the morning! What is so important?!" I was _not _pleasant if someone woke me up in the middle of the night.

Erik cringed and took a deep breath. "We lost one tonight," he said quietly.

I stood up quickly. _We lost an Assassin?! _"When and where?" I demanded. "And you couldn't have told me this _before _I went to bed?!"

Erik put a hand up to calm me down. "Chicago. His date of death hasn't been confirmed. Abstergo has more resources than us so they can cover their tracks," Erik reminded me. "And you vanished as soon as Heather and I walked in."

I nodded. If an Assassin wasn't careful, they might find a bullet in their chest (which was rare in itself because we always wore skin tight bullet proof vests). "I'm not a fan of your mother," I yawned again. "Erik, I really need some sleep. This has been… an exhausting day."

Erik flicked my light on and I hissed at the sudden brightness. "Casey and Tanner trying to figure out why you're always ditching them?" His tone was flat.

I slowly opened my eyes as they adjusted to the light. "Why were you given the ability to get straight to the point and not me?" I groaned.

"I guess I'm just lucky."

"They're starting to see the cracks in my lies. But I make up promises that I do keep—_sometimes_, but I'm running on their patience like a tightrope trapeze artist walks on a burning rope. I don't have a lot of time left," I muttered.

Erik walked over and patted my good shoulder. "You can figure it out. You always do."

I rolled my eyes while Erik got up and left my room. Before he closed my door, he turned around, smiling evilly. "By the way, you owe me for the bikes."

"How so?" I challenged him, my arms crossed over my chest.

Erik's pear green eyes glinted in the light. "Well let me see…you scratched up your bike, and Derek stalled the engine in his bike… What do I look like? A mechanic?"

I raised an eyebrow and he shook his head. "Never mind. Where did you two drive?"

I grinned sheepishly. "We were being chased by police remember?"

"Just make sure you take better care of the bikes," Erik said as he smiled and turned the lights off.

I nodded and Erik left my room, closing the door quietly behind him. I fell back on the bed and brought the quilt over my body. I knew sleep would either come or evade me the rest of the night, so I decided to push my luck and close my eyes. Soon my mind started to become hazy, my thoughts unorganized as I drifted into sleep.


	3. What the Hell?

**CHAPTER THREE:**

**What the Hell?**

The sound of my alarm going off woke me up and I groaned as I rolled onto my side and slammed my fist on the clock, silencing the annoying beeping sound. I grabbed a t-shirt, jeans, undergarments, and my shoes as I walked to the bathroom.

I quickly showered and just as I was done blow-drying my hair, Erik, my younger half-brother, was pounding on the door. "Hurry up Em! If you're beautifying yourself, save yourself trouble. It won't do much for you!" Erik chortled.

I glared at the door as I pulled my favorite scarlet red t-shirt over my stomach; it had a silver outline of an eagle on the back (go figure). "Be grateful that I don't have my throwing knives with me right now!" I shouted. Below me, I could hear Heather or Derek muttering something about it being too early for the fighting to start.

Erik walked away, grumbling as he did, leaving me to finish getting ready. After I was done, Erik nearly tackled me to the ground in his rush to get into the bathroom. "That's what you get for sleeping in!" I hollered at the closed door.

Shaking my head, I walked downstairs and saw Heather sitting at the island, reading this mornings paper. I walked to the cabinet and grabbed a coffee mug, as I turned to pour myself a cup; I caught the headlines of today's paper.

_HEADLINE: BREAK IN AT ABSTERGO, POLICE INVESTIGATING TWO MURDERS._

I bit my lip as I hoisted myself up on the granite counter and sipped my coffee, not making eye contact with Heather. I knew that Derek and I messed up last night, we weren't supposed to take any lives, and we did anyway! _Well, the stupid agents didn't give us any other option so it was partially their fault…_

Heather lowered the paper (smoothing out the front cover as she did so) and gave me a look that always made me cringe. "So, is there something that you would like to tell me?" her voice dangerously calm and I could sense the challenge behind it. My own body was responding to the challenge but I fought the urge to snap back.

I opened my mouth to answer, when I was saved by my cellphone going off. "I gotta get that!" I stammered as I slid from my seat and raced to my pack. I fumbled for a moment before I found my phone. "Hello?" I answered.

"_Emma! Oh my god, last night was so awesome! Tanner couldn't have been any funnier!" _Casey was obviously still on her adrenaline high, or she was just excited to tell me about it.

I grinned, even though Casey couldn't see it. "I'm sure he went wild when you got an autograph. Look I am on my way to school. I will see you then," I said as Heather stood up, crossing her arms over her chest, and pursing her lips.

Casey hung up and I did after listening to the beeping sound. Rubbing my temples, I walked to the kitchen, chugged the last of my coffee down, grabbed my school bag, grabbed my jacket from the living room, and walked outside. It was nice today, the sun was out, and the sky was perfect. _Perfect for a track meet, _I thought happily.

"I'm going to a track meet after school today, I probably won't be home until after six or seven," I explained as I saw Derek under my car.

Derek rolled out from under the vehicle and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Derek was muscular, there was no doubting that, but he had this lean look to him that reminded me of a tiger or lion—and thanks to said physique, he always went shirtless when the weather was nice. "Great, so I'm the fall guy for our blunder last night?"

"We didn't have a choice, the agents wouldn't move and we needed to get out of there!" I reminded him with narrowed eyes. Derek shrugged as he pulled himself under the car again and started messing with the engine.

I mounted my bike; I revved the engine and took the Highway at a 100mph. I made it to school with ten minutes to spare before the first bell rang, dismissing us to our first period classes. I looked at the building and saw Casey waiting for me by the flagpole. Smiling, I turned the bike engine off, took my jacket off (wrapping it around my waist), and walked over. Casey met me halfway.

"Hey, where's Tanner?" I asked as Casey didn't let go of my arms.

Casey shrugged but her smile never faltered. "Sick. Apparently he had some bad nachos or something before the show started."

"Didn't you warn him _not_ to eat the concert food?" I chided.

Casey gave me an incredulous look. "Like _five times_! He didn't listen to me! Claimed he had an iron stomach."

I shook my head and we both walked to my locker. I grabbed my Literature folder and book, as Casey babbled on about how she was forced to sit next to some sweaty guy that smelled as if he didn't take a shower in the last six months. I quickly checked to make sure that I had everything needed for first period—and thinking about last nights mission, when someone was snapping their fingers in my face. "Hello earth to Emma!" Casey nearly shouted into my ear.

I shook my head and looked at my friend. "Sorry, had other stuff on my mind."

Casey nodded. "Family?"

I hefted my laptop over my right shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," I mumbled.

I slammed my locker closed and walked to North Commons (there was still about five minutes before the first bell rang). I sat down and begin reading Chapter 3 of _Lord of the Flies_ when I see Erik walking over, wearing, well worn Nikes, artfully faded blue jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and wearing his dark grey hoodie. I turned my head and smiled as I noticed the jewelry box that he was carrying. I looked at Casey who looked at me then Erik (blushing ever so slightly). I stood up from my seat and gave my half-brother a one-armed hug. "Hey Erik. What's in the box? Proposing to your girlfriend?" I sarcastically grinned.

Erik ran his hand through his honey brown hair. "Our step-mother wanted me to give this to you," he murmured as he handed me the box.

"Wh-what is it?" I frowned as I looked at the box, then Erik.

He looked to make sure Casey had resumed her studies (not that she studied anyway) and pulled the collar of his t-shirt down to reveal a silver chain with the Assassin Insignia on it. Understanding immediately, I opened the box. I saw the necklace and Erik snatched it from the box and helped me put it on. Once the necklace was in place, I hid it under my t-shirt.

"Thanks," I whispered as the bell rang and everyone was starting to freak out. _You have to love the morning chaos…_

Erik's expression darkened (his green eyes darkened, if that was even possible) as he looked over my shoulder and I turned my head slightly to see Principal Larson standing there, in his crisp ebony black suit, and Italian loafers, with the infamous frown that strikes fear into the students hearts. "I better go. I only have a few minutes left to get to class," Erik mutters. I suggest you do the same."

Nodding, I grabbed my books and Casey stood up, stretching out her back. "So what did you really do last night?" she asked as I started walking away.

I nearly tripped over the table that was in front of me. "Wh-what do you mean? I had some family stuff going on," I firmly stated.

Casey's eyebrow rose in confusion. "Really? Because when I called your cell, you didn't answer. I called your home phone and your _dad_ answered. When I asked him where you were, he said that you were at the store. I asked if I could come over and wait for you to come home, but your dad said no and to call back later."

I resumed walking and gulped, trying to figure out how I was going to get out of this one. I set my books down and put my jacket on to buy me some time before I answered her. "I _was_ at the store…then I went to the gym to work out," I told her.

Casey huffed in irritation. "C'mon Em, you think I'm that stupid? What happened to the '_no secrets between friends'_ deal we made?" She asked me.

_I never actually agreed that. _I bit my lip as I tried to think of a way to word the next sentence. "Casey…" I said quietly at first, "have you ever been told a secret. One that you couldn't share, no matter how much you want to tell someone?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, everyone has them."

I smiled at her words. "_Exactly_. I have that same secret. No matter how much I wish I could tell you, I can't," I mumbled.

Before Casey could press the subject further (and testing my ability to lie), the first hour warning bell rang. We both said a quick goodbye before we dashed in separate directions for our first period classes. Before the final bell for first hour rings, I slid into my desk and a few seconds later, Rachel McStane walked in. We locked eyes and she only narrowed her rat like ones at me. I noted her outfit and had to suppress a gag. Rachel was one of those size zero-to-two girls and was "daddy's girl". "Wow, Rachel, trying to impress someone?" I grumbled as she passed my desk.

She glared at me and slammed her fake alligator skin purse on my desk. My left hand curled into a fist under the desk. One punch…that is all it would take to knock her sorry ass on the ground. _I wouldn't be breaking the Creed, would I?_

"For your information _loser_, this happens to be the latest and best style to wear during the fall," she hissed as she flipped her hair and struck a pose. _Casey would say otherwise… _Rachel was the "mean girl" at our school and she relished in knowing that she was considered the most popular—and most hated—by all the "normal" students, so she took it upon herself to make their lives (mainly mine) miserable.

"Yeah if you live in California," I smirked.

A few of the other girls near us giggled silently and Rachel glared at them then returned her glare to me. "Listen you little bitch: I don't care what you have to say. I am just trying to impress Nathan," She sneered.

I rolled my eyes at her declaration. Rachel saw me as a threat when it came to boys. Perhaps because I _wasn't looking _for a boyfriend right now (or in the current future) she thought that I was scoping out potential boys. She also had this delusional idea that I had a crush on Nathan Stanley, one of the more popular boys at the school.

I don't know where Rachel go that insane idea from, maybe she got the idea when Nathan and I had a project we had to work on together—back in second grade—and we both always smiled at each other. We were just kids and having a good time as we took care of Snippy the Hamster.

"Go ahead Rachel…I have no problems with it. Nathan hasn't even talked to me since _second grade_," I reminded her. Back when we were younger, Rachel was the ugly duckling and was picked on a lot. Guess it shaped her into becoming a grade A bitch.

Her face went red and I smirked at it. "You'll pay for that you little bitch," She hissed as our teacher walked in.

Our teacher, Mrs. Peterson, was about sixty years old. She walked behind her desk and tapped on her desk. "Today is a reading day, class. I want you to post a summary to Edmodo when you have finished two or three chapters," Mrs. Peterson instructed us. I groaned with the class. _Lord of the Flies _wasn't a bad book, it was _painful_ to read. It was slow, lacked action, and just all around bored me to no end.

Sighing, I opened my book and began reading. I was through two chapters (surprisingly) when I saw a piece of paper land in front of me. I opened the note and read it to find Rachel's bubble lettering.

_You are so dead loser._

I rolled my eyes at the note and wrote one back to her.

_Sticks and stones Rachel. Sticks and stones._

I discreetly tossed Rachel the note and she read it. Her face went bright red in anger. She could manage to piss off almost everyone here at school. But she has never broken me. Perhaps it was because I treated her like I treated my training; carefully and patiently.

After I was done reading another chapter, I wrote down my summary on Edmodo and relaxed the rest of the hour. When the bell rang to dismiss us, my stomach did a flip. I _hated _second period. As I walked to my locker to drop off my Literature folder and book I saw Casey moping over. She finally made it over and I looked over at the countdown clock the school had installed this past summer.

"Why so upset?" I asked casually.

"Mr. Jones gave a surprise quiz."

I raised an eyebrow. Mr. Jones was rarely known to give out surprise quizzes. "How much of a surprise?" I questioned.

Casey went scarlet. "Two weeks."

I smiled crookedly. "So he told you _two weeks_ ago about this quiz and you completely forgot?" I asked again to clarify.

"Yeah," She mumbled. "That's why he called it a surprise quiz! Because he knew that we would forget!"

"Define 'we'," I goaded.

She tried smacking me upside the head and I ducked. I chuckled lightly and grabbed my gym clothes. Casey and I were in the same class so we walked to the gym together. We walked into the gym and the first thing I smelled was the natatorium (pool area) and then the newly polished wood floor. I saw Coach Harter in his usual track uniform and the whistle that hangs around his neck, talking with Miss Shields, the other gym teacher. We walked past him and smile as he checked us off the list.

"Morning ladies. Ready for the course?" He asks, smiling. Coach Harter was basically, in every sense of the word, a stereotypical gym teacher—except for _one_ tiny detail that no one but I know about. Coach Harter had the five o'clock shadow and the build for a gym teacher—which was basically just being in the right shape for the job.

I nodded and Casey let a groan escape her lips. I nailed her in the ribs with my elbow.

"I'm just so tired Coach," Casey smiled as she clutched her ribs.

Coach Harter's sage green eyes twinkled with mischief. "This will wake you right up."

"I hope so," Casey mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

We entered the locker room and I went to my locker and changed quickly. We were required to wear either a black t-shirt with red shorts or red t-shirt with black shorts. I changed into my black t-shirt (_very _quickly) and shorts when I see Casey walked over.

"Why can't we just do nothing in P.E?" She asked as she laid down on the bench.

I shrugged—wincing slightly at the pain in my left shoulder. "School wouldn't be much fun if the teachers didn't make us do anything," I answered.

She moaned and we walked out to meet the rest of the class. Naturally the boys seemed over confident that they would beat the course record. As soon as the last girl jogged out, Coach Harter took us to the Low Ropes Course.

He unlocked the gate and the boys were tackling each other to get in. "All right ladies…time for the Obstacle Course. Who wants to go first?" Harter shouted.

The girls shirked back and the boys wrestled each other for the first spot. Finally after five seconds, Coach Harter blew his whistle and the boys stopped fighting. "All right! Since you can't figure out who should go first. We will go girl boy, girl boy. Understand?"

Everyone nodded and the first girl to go was Tracey Williams. She was on the Cheer and Stunt Team for our school and ended the course with a respectable 6 minutes flat. When we were nearing the end of the hour, Casey went up and ended with an okay time of 10 minutes and 59 seconds. Her response was:

"Yes! Not last!" I had to shake my head at her response. I could almost _see _her doing a victory dance. The quiet laughing on the other end seemed to confirm my prediction.

When the last boy went, I was next. Harter (sending me a warning look for some reason) blew is whistle and I took off. Being ever so careful, I made it a point to lose my grip a few times and by the time I finished, everyone was either looking hopeful, or murderous.

I looked back at the teacher. "Coach?"

"Emma, your time is 5 minutes and 1 second!"

I nodded and the girls seemed rather peeved that I didn't beat the record. We went through the course again, and again, and _again_ until we had ten minutes before the dismissal bell. The girls were complaining about how sweaty and gross they were (a few noted to me that I didn't have a drop of sweat on me) and opted to see if they could get Harter fired.

I changed back into my clothes quickly and raced to my locker. I grabbed the rest of the books I would need for the rest of the day and the day goes by in a blur. I was at the flagpole, putting my Bluetooth in my ear, when Casey walked over. "Hey! Didn't see you at your locker. Everything okay?" she asked, breathless. "We have that track meet to go to in a bit, remember?"

I nodded and continued walking towards my bike. "Yeah, I just have to check something on my bike and I'll be over at the stadium in a bit." Our school also had the one of the best stadiums in the state.

Casey smiled at me and took off back towards the school. Quickly, I called Heather and explained to her that I was going to a track meet and that I wouldn't be home until around six or seven. I was sure that Derek didn't tell her, or if I did tell Heather, she forgot.

I walked back into the school, met up with Casey and we both walked a few blocks to the stadium. The opposing school seemed to have decided that they would _all _come to this meet. "Christ, they know how to support their teams…" I growled as I looked at the blue and gold on the other side of the field.

Casey shrugged and we found a couple of seats at the highest point of the bleachers. Our school was black and white (kinda like the war I was fighting at the moment). The track meet was a bore fest—mostly because I knew that I could outrun all of the racers if I wanted to.

I leaned back as the last event of the meet came and I was about to throw my hood up over my head to shield my eyes from the sun, when Casey smacked me across the head. "Ow!" I snapped as I rubbed my temple. "What the hell was that for?"

"It's a nice day out," Casey said in a matter-of-factly tone.

I shot her a dark look and returned my gaze to the runners. Our best runner, Beatrice Lundy, was stretching, and sizing up the runner that was next to her. From this distance, I couldn't see the runner's eyes, but her hair was a dark brown, I could even see some red in it. My Assassin instincts were kicking in, something about the runner in lane three—Beatrice's competition—seemed off. I kept my gaze on the runner and I looked away every time the girl looked up at me. _It's like she knows I'm watching her…_

"_Runner's take your mark!"_ the official shouted with his bullhorn, I swear they purposely use those things so that the Canadians can hear them shouting. The entire stadium quieted down._ "GO!" _the official shot the blank round and the runners took off. The girl in lane three kept a steady pace for second place.

As the runners rounded the second corner, the runner in lane three sped (as if she was getting bored with being in second) up and matched Beatrice's pace! My own interest was peaked at this, considering that if I went out for track, I would have been probably the best runner the school had. But nope, I was the good little Assassin that never had any fun.

On the fourth corner of the first lap, Beatrice must've been getting pissed because I saw her shoot her leg out—making the runner in lane three trip. But instead of falling face first into the track, the runner nimbly flipped about four times before landing steadily on the ground and bolting ahead. I had to do a double take as the runner _lapped _Beatrice. I was standing up, not in anger, but in utter disbelief! "What. The. Hell?" I muttered in clipped tones. Was that runner an Assassin? If they were, then they either had little to _no_ respect for the Creed and its tenets or the other option was that her parents didn't care that she flaunted her skills. The third option was that the girl was just really talented. _As if!_

The opposing school cheered as the runner sprinted past the finish line and slowed easily and took a swig from their water bottle that one of the coaches had ready for her. I had to meet her. I was about to walk down to meet her when my Bluetooth beeped.

_"Emma, come home," _Derek instructed. I groaned. Well, at least it wasn't _during _the meet. I told Casey that I had to go and that I would see her tomorrow. I walked away from her line of view and when I was sure that she couldn't see me, I leaped over the railing (falling about fifteen feet) and landed in a crouch, my hood up over my eyes. I looked to my left and right and saw the runner that whooped Beatrice's ass stare at me with wide, _golden _eyes. _How did she see that? There must have been at least a thousand kids here! _I frowned; no one had gold colored eyes unless they wore contacts.

The runner tried making her way over to me—the crowd that was beginning to surround her made that nearly impossible—and when she was free of the crowd, I crookedly smiled, placed my right fist over my heart and inclined my head.

"_Emma! Hurry up!" _Erik's voice boomed in my ears. Rolling my eyes, I gave the golden eyed runner a two fingered salute and bolted. I could easily hear her trying to catch me, but I was faster. I made it back to the school parking lot and revved my bike, speeding home.

_Perhaps I'll meet that runner later…_

I raced home and Derek simply waved as I walked into the house. "Okay, what's so damned important that you had to drag me away from a meet?" _And a potential recruit?_

Heather sighed as she handed me the paper. "Your dad wants to talk with you about this," she whispered. I walked upstairs to my father's office and knocked on the door. "Come in," his soft feathery voice answered.

I entered the room and look around. It was about the size of my bedroom with dark red walls, dark mahogany trim, bookshelf after bookshelf, near my father's desk, was a podium with a book on it. I knew what book it was. Altair's Codex—or at least part of the Codex. There were still pages missing. No doubt they were in the hands of Templars.

"You look discouraged," my father stated as I walked further into the office. "Or perhaps your little blunder at the Abstergo building last night is bugging you?"

I nodded and he offered me a seat. "Casey and Tanner are beginning to take notice of my actions," I whisper. "And we didn't have a choice when Derek and I killed those men."

My father stood up and placed a hand on my good shoulder. "Friendship is important, Emma. But the Assassin's must remain a secret. I'm sorry that you're forced to lie to your friends but you know the Creed."

I nod and take a deep breath. "We work in the dark to serve the light, we are Assassins," I whispered, "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted," I finish. "But the tenets don't prohibit us from keeping ourselves a secret from our friends," I stated.

My father sighed. "I know Emma, I know. But it's for their own good that Casey and Tanner don't learn your affiliations to the Assassins."

I nodded and my father dismissed me. I walked downstairs and watched Derek beat Erik at chess. Laughing, I grabbed my backpack and started on my homework, glad that I'm not needed for patrols or a mission.

Heather was busy with doing the family finances, Erik and Derek continued to play chess, my dad came down for a glass of water, and I curled up on the couch as I worked on my AP Calculus review packet.

The entire night I was thinking about the golden eyed runner and smirking at the expression on her face as I out ran her.


	4. Obstacles

**CHAPTER FOUR:**

**Obstacles**

Waking up before the sun (and turning my alarm clock off), I changed into a pair of red and white basketball shorts, an ebony black tank-top, grabbed my watch, and my red and dark grey Nikes. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, walked over to my window, shoved the glass panel up as far as it would go, jumped out (rolling to my feet in the process), and started my morning jog around the property.

I closed my eyes as the sounds of birds and small animals scampered from my rapid approach. This is when I was able to just relax from my stress of leading two lives. Sure, I was able to handle it easily, but sometimes, I just needed time to be by myself and let my mind wander aimlessly for a bit.

I slowed down as I turned by the old oak tree that I used to climb when I was little. I grinned as I looked at the old tree. So many memories—mostly of me falling on my butt whenever I would get too eager and try to climb onto the more brittle branches. I gave a small laugh as I realized that I went from climbing trees, to scaling city buildings in only a few short years.

I checked my watch and saw that it was almost five-thirty. My dad and aunt would be awake soon—not that they cared if I was out in the wilderness with nothing but a watch. I could survive for a few days on my own out here if I wanted. Sighing, I started the run back to the house, dreading today. Not only would the school be in upheaval at the fact that Beatrice Lundy not only _lost_ one of the biggest races of the season, but that she deliberately tried to _cheat_ in order to win that race.

By the time I saw the barn come into view, my lungs were burning, my clothes were sticking to my body, and sweat had covered every inch of my body. My throat ached for water, but the promise of a warm shower instantly soothed the thirst and my aching muscles seemed to have almost _sighed _in relief.

Slowing to a walk as I approached the back door, with each step I took, gravel crunched under my feet, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I tilted my head slightly to the right. Listening for something out of the ordinary.

My hand rested on the door handle when I heard the barest change in the wind and I rolled backwards—away from the door and into the middle of the gravel driveway. When I rolled to my feet, I saw my six-foot three brother looking perplexed at the fact that I wasn't where I should be—which was under his body.

I grinned as I stood up. "You're getting sloppy big brother," I wiped some tiny rocks from my back.

Derek blinked and our eyes locked. I raised an eyebrow and gave a smug smile. "You're going to get it this time…" Derek grinned as he ran at me.

I watched his right hand clench into a fist and just as he brought it up, I side-stepped him and shoved him into the gravel. "Face it, brute strength _always _loses to agility and grace," I goaded.

Derek growled and I mockingly raised my eyebrow again. "All right big brother," I grinned as I lowered into my own fighting stance. "Let's see if you can avoid getting your ass handed to you by your younger sister this time eh?"

Derek wiped the front of his dark red t-shirt off and lunged at me. I was always moving a split-second faster than he was. Every time he tried to kick my legs out from under me, I leapt in the air and tried to land a kick to his side—which he easily deflected. I barely—however—reacted as he threw a punch square at my face and I leaned back, matrix style, to avoid it.

"I see that you don't need a teacher after all…you learned from watching the best," Derek grunted as I landed a punch to his sternum and he fell to his knees.

"Yeah, dad taught me well," I hooted as I walked behind my older sibling and ran my finger along the width of his throat. "Kill." Derek grunted as I helped him up from his vulnerable position on the ground. "Perhaps you'll learn one day. That I'm _always _aware of my surroundings, _Der_," I remarked as I started walking to the back door.

I pushed the door open and Heather was just walking down the stairs in her cotton pajama bottoms and a plain light blue t-shirt. Her normally well-managed hair was in a messy bun and her eyes looked fogged with sleep.

"Morning," I yawned as I stretched my arms out. I felt my left shoulder twinge a little bit, but I barely paid it any attention.

Heather responded with a sleepy nod. "Morning Emma."

My dad was just putting his slippers on when I passed his room. I walked back into my room, shut the window when I felt something cold and gooey fall on me. I slowly brought my hands to my head and I felt the sticky texture of honey. "_DEREK!_" I roared as I heard his laughter from downstairs. I stalked out to the hallway, when my face met the broadside of a feathered pillow. "What the heck?!" I shrieked as Erik was leaning against the wall, laughing hysterically.

Erik managed to stand up and his honey brown hair was pointed in every direction possible. "That's for scratching up the bikes. The honey was Derek's idea."

Derek's footsteps were bounding up the stairs. "Way to throw me under the bus bro," he scowled at Erik and I was momentarily blinded by a flash. "I guess I get the last laugh this time little sister," Derek grinned like the Cheshire cat. I looked at the camera in his hands.

"Give. Me. That. Camera," I seethed as I made a move towards it. Derek jumped back and held it up above his head.

"Try and get it," he goaded. "Face it Em, some day at your wedding, I'll bring this picture out and show your husband how much _fun_ you were at this age…"

I groaning in frustration, I stomped to the bathroom and locked the door. I turned the light on and I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair (and part of my face) was covered in honey and white feathers. "Those two are _so_ gonna get it," I growled as I started the shower and got out of my shoes and clothes.

The drain was clogged with feathers and after a rather long shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and lithely made my way into my bedroom.

This time, I turned the lights on and I saw the hare-brained contraption that led to me being covered in honey. "Okay, that was clever, I'll admit that," I acknowledged as I looked at the wires that laced my bedroom ceiling.

Changing into a pair of dark blue jeans and throwing a ivory white tank-top on, I grabbed a dark green t-shirt and as I was pulling my head through the neck hole, Erik was just starting his shower. "In three, two, one…" I counted off with my fingers. As soon as I reached one, Erik yelped.

I giggled as I walked over the bathroom door and knocked once. "Did I forget to mention that I used up all the hot water for the morning?" I grinned from the door.

I heard Heather and Derek groan. I walked downstairs to see Heather massaging her temples, her face hovering over a cup of coffee. "Can't you three go _one _morning without pranks or fighting?"

I wanted to answer her, but Derek beat me to it. "We don't see it as 'fighting'," Derek used air quotes on the word, fighting. "We see it as helpful practice."

I snorted as I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed some bread and put it in the toaster. "Really? Because I see it _way_ differently than you," I grinned at my brother.

He shot me a dark look as he took a swig from his coffee.

I was finishing my toast when my dad came down the stairs. "Good morning everyone," his soft voice greeted.

"Morning," everyone responded at the same time. I watched with hawk-like-eyes as my father slowly made his way over to us. Sure, he was only in his late forties, early fifties, but the years of being an Assassin were showing, and not in a good way. My dad was already at the hospital for trouble breathing—where the doctors had discovered fluid on his lungs.

I handed my dad a cup of coffee and he gave me a kiss on the top of my head as he took the coffee. "Thank you Emma," he grinned.

I rose on my tiptoes and kissed my dad's cheek. My dad was at least six-foot-four and I was five-foot eight. He ruffled my hair affectionately and checked his own watch.

"You better be off or you're going to be late," my dad grinned.

I raced up the stairs, grabbed my bag and jacket, and headed back down to the barn that held most of the bikes and cars. I hastily mounted my bike, shoved my helmet on my head, threw my pack over my shoulders, revved the engine, and hit the roads at excess of 100mph.

It was sick really. I always went at least fifty over the speed limit and I _never _got caught.

I slowed down as I entered the city and came to a stop when I parked in an open space.

"Emma!" Casey hollered as she waved. I frowned and looked at my cellphone. _Holy crap!_ I have about ten minutes before the first bell.

Turning my bike off, I took my helmet off and grinned as I walked to my best friend. "Hey Cas—." I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and my feet were suddenly in the air. Without thinking, I elbowed my attacker in the ribs and instantly they released me. I spun quickly and kicked their legs out from under them—making them land on their back on the concrete.

"Christ Em!" Tanner moaned as he cradled his chest.

Blinking once, I gasped and hastily helped Tanner up from the ground. "Sorry Tanner, you shouldn't sneak up on me like that…" _You shouldn't sneak up on an Assassin…_

Tanner rubbed his chest where my elbow made impact. "I'll remember that next time," he coughed.

Grinning weakly, Casey spun me around. "What the hell was that?!" She shook her head. "Never mind. Just a warning, Beatrice is _insane_ right now."

I gripped my pack tighter over my shoulders. "Why?"

Casey shook her head. "You were there! _No one_ has _ever_ beaten her in that race. Besides, the Track Coach is thinking about benching Beatrice because of that 'unsportsman-like' move she pulled."

Pulling the door open, I looked around for any sign of the irritated runner and thankfully, she wasn't in this area of the school.

I approached my locker and a minor headache pounded its way through my head. "Dammit!" I growled.

Casey brushed some hair behind her ear. "What's wrong?"

"Derek pulled a prank on me and it wound up with me on my back, after I hit my head against the concrete," I lied.

Casey reached over my right shoulder and pulled out a white feather. "I'm guessing it involved feathers?"

Snatching the feather from Casey's hand, I grumbled insults like a fiend. "Erik decided to help him with the prank," I admitted truthfully.

Casey blushed at the mention of my half-brother for some reason. "Oh, h-how is he?" Casey stammered as she looked at the ground.

I opened my locker and grabbed my belongings. "Same as ever," I shrugged. _Why was Casey asking about Erik?_

Casey laughed nervously and the first period bell rang, allowing everyone to head to their first hour classes.

Fifth hour rolled around and I slid into my chair in Italian 6C.

"Salve (hello) Emma," Tanner greeted as he slid into the seat next to me, "come stai (how are you)?"

I brushed some hair behind my ears and opened my book. "Sto bene (I'm fine)," I grinned. "How about you? How's your head?"

Tanner rubbed the back of his head—messing up his already messy hair even more. "Just throbbing a little, but nothing I can't handle. Where did you learn those moves?"

I bit my lip for a second. "My dad had me go to kick-boxing lessons and martial art classes," I admitted.

Tanner whistled. "Holy crap, he must've hired the best teachers then." He leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

"The best he can afford," I nodded. _The best that the Assassin Brotherhood has…_ Shaking my head once, I looked at my friend. "Speaking of that, how are you feeling? Casey said that you hadn't been feeling well."

Tanner shrugged. "I had some bad nachos or something. So much for stomach of iron, eh?" his powder blue eyes sparked with humor. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, so much for that."

Tanner and I started to work on the assignment (normally kids that were in Italian 6C were freakily fluent in the language and since Italian was the second language after English in the Assassin Order, I was one of those freaks). The teacher also rarely bothered to lecture about the language and grammar. _Messere_ Peters was insane about the grammar.

I was walking out to my bike after the final bell rang when I heard tires squealing. I turned and saw Beatrice's dark grey 2010 Volkswagen Jetta speeding right for me (and I was stupid and walking down the middle of the parking lot).

"_Watch out_!" a few people screamed.

I looked to my left and right and leaped to my right, rolling to my feet (hitting the back of my head on the car that was behind me), as I flipped Beatrice off. "Watch it culo (ass)!" I snarled as Beatrice was then followed by the schools Police Liaison officer speeding after her. _There go her chances of staying on the Track team._

Casey was running towards me, her blue eyes wide with shock. "Where the hell does Beatrice get off on trying to kill you?! She should be in prison for trying to pull a stunt like that!"

I brushed my shoulder off and rubbed the back of my head. "I'm fine, see?" I took my jacket off and showed her that I was fine.

Casey shook her head. "All right, but Beatrice is just plain crazy! I knew that she was really into her sport, but _that_?!"

I placed a hand on Casey's shoulder. "Relax, would you? It happened, now its over, let's move on from that hm?"

Casey huffed and eventually nodded. "Okay, so are you free this weekend?"

I frowned. "Yeah, I should be. Why?"

Casey shrugged. "I just wanted to see if you wanted to go horseback riding. Tanner has family coming in from California so he's stuck with the 'rents."

I grinned as I mounted my bike and shoved my helmet back onto my head. "Yeah, I'll be free this weekend. Come over at around ten tomorrow morning okay?" _Thank the lord it's Friday…_

Casey wrapped me in a hug and dashed off to her own car before I could say a single word. My Bluetooth beeping alerted me to the fact that either Heather or Derek was trying to get a hold of me. "Hello?" I answered.

"_Em?" _Derek's voice was unsure.

"Of course it's me! Who else would have this Bluetooth link?!" My voice was a little harsh.

"_Sorry, I want you to head straight to the Facility. There are no missions or patrols tonight, and Abbott's older brother, Abrafo, needs someone to demonstrate how an Assassin will react to certain situations…"_

Rolling my eyes, I headed outside of the city. "You mean Abrafo needs someone to show the younger Assassins how it's done?" I remarked as I revved the engine.

"_Of course!"_

"And you couldn't have offered to do it instead of me?" I questioned as I headed out to the Facility.

Derek laughed. _"I'm not sure I would be a good influence on the younger Assassins. I'm not one for evasion. I'm more up front."_

I frowned. "Yeah, and that's the reason why you are more than likely to find a knife or bullet in your chest."

"_Just get here, I'll have your weapons ready."_

My eyes widened. "How the hell did you find them?!"

Derek signed off—obviously ignoring my question, and I arrived at the Facility within a half hour. Parking my bike on the side road, I entered the Facility and knocked twice on the metal door that had the Assassin symbol on it. A middle-aged man with short black hair and moss-green eyes slid the peephole open.

"Rare is the man who is willing to oppose the status quo," the Assassin began.

I rolled my eyes. "And so it falls to us to help them see the truth," I finished.

The older Assassin's eyes lit up as he looked at me closer. "Oh!" He slammed the peephole closed and hastily opened the door. "My apologies Miss Hale! Had I known that you would be coming!"

I looked at the Assassin for a moment, perplexed. "What's wrong—oh." I frowned. I forgot that my father had a high reputation within the Order, therefore, his family was regarded with a high reputation. "Please, I would rather _not_ be regarded so highly," I assured the Assassin.

"Very well, Miss Hale. The recruits are eager to see what a true Assassin is capable of—." I raised a hand to cut him off.

"My blood is far from clean," I growled as I unzipped my jacket, "and those recruits are just as true to their loyalties as I am."

The Assassin nodded. "My apologies."

I made my way through the winding halls of the Facility when I finally came upon the Training Room. The Assassins that were 'below standards' as William Miles put it, were to come here during the school year to continue their training. Looking through the glass window, I noted that there were at least thirty other recruits, sitting on a few benches, looking eager.

Sighing, I shoved the door open and everyone quieted down.

"Em!" Derek hollered as he waved me over to a table that had my weapons. "Over here!"

I inclined my head at the recruits and when I made my way to Derek, Abrafo, a tall, strong looking, dark-skinned man with cobalt blue eyes and black hair that was always in cornrows, and a goatee greeted me.

"Welcome Miss Hale. These recruits need to see how it's done," Abrafo greeted me with a gentle pat on my back.

I secured my hidden blades to my wrists and threw my jacket back on. After I had zipped up the jacket, I put the remaining weapons in their places. When I was satisfied that I was ready, Abrafo directed me to the recruits.

Needless to say, I wasn't a speaker.

"I think the recruits could use a few words of encouragement, Miss Hale," Abrafo whispered.

I gulped and looked at the recruits (they were behind a clear screen). "There's a difference between being _here_," I gestured to the Training Facility, "and _there_," I pointed at the door, meaning to point to the real world. "In here, you have Trainers that are teaching you how to survive. But in the real world, you will have _no one_ to teach you. One mistake, and you will either have a broken bone, or you will be just another statistic to the Templars." A few recruits shuddered. "Out there, you don't have Trainers protecting you, or helping you. The only person that is protecting you out there is _yourself_."

I turned my back to the crowd, threw my hood up over my eyes and I made my way to the beginning of the obstacle course.

"Pay close attention!" Abrafo shouted as he pressed a button and the small _ding_ reached my ears. I sprinted forward, leaped onto a beam, wall-ran a few feet (seeing a "Templar") extending my right hidden blade, then landed on the fake Templar, my blade digging deeply into the material. I removed my blade and fake blood leaked from the inflicted wound.

I kept moving through the course and I slid towards what would've been a car as I heard gunshots. I looked under the "car" and saw two "Templars" with guns, firing rubber bullets.

"_Notice how Miss Hale is assessing her situations," _Abrafo's voice came over the announcer.

"Notice how Miss Hale is gonna rip your throat out!" I screamed at the Assassin.

Shaking my head, I bolted for more cover. I was making my way to a ladder. After avoiding the tirade of rubber bullets, I easily scaled the ladder and turned so that I would be able to leap and kill. I tensed my muscles then leapt.

The guns stopped firing and the course ended there. I turned to see the faces of the recruits in awe. "And _that_," I panted, "is how it's done." I retracted my blades and Derek handed me a towel.

"That was hard-core sis," he praised.

I grinned and the Training Room door being forced open brought my attention to the noise when I saw Erik and Heather rushing towards Derek and I with red puffy eyes.

"What happened?!" I screamed as I threw the towel to the ground. "Who's hurt?!"

Heather took a shaky breath. The next words that she said would forever haunt me.

"Emma," she sobbed, "it's your dad. Something's happened."


	5. Reality Check

**CHAPTER FIVE:**

**Reality Check**

I had Heather's arms in a vice-like grip and shook her roughly. "What happened?!" I shouted, tears threatening to spill over. I heard Abrafo escorting the recruits out of the training facility quickly.

Heather took a few deep breaths, wincing at my grip. "Erik and I were heading home when we got a call from the paramedics. Your dad has suffered a stroke. The paramedics are trying to keep him alive—Emma?" Heather asked as my legs started to shake and I released her from my grip. It felt as though Heather was whispering, and I didn't hear the words correctly.

"W-What?" I stammered as my voice hitched.

Heather took my face her in hands. "Emma, your father is _dying_."

I collapsed onto the floor of the training room and just started sobbing. "No!" I wailed as Derek picked me up. "_NO_!" I shouted as I began beating on his chest.

Derek carried me to Heather's car and set me in the back seat. "I'll take your bike home for you—."

"I don't care about the goddamned bike!" I shouted at my brother.

Heather slid into the driver's seat and Erik sat in the passenger's seat, his eyes downcast. My mind refused to wrap itself around the fact that my father was dying. I stared out the window. The rain started coming down by the bucketful. Tears began streaming down my face, my eyes burned, my heart ached, and my stomach lurched. I didn't want to see the only person in my life—the only person who was there for me after everything I went through, leave.

"Emma," Heather crooned as she looked in the mirror. I pulled my hood over my eyes as I kept crying. Just as I was about to stop crying, the song, _I Will Always Love You _by Whitney Houston came over the radio that Erik had turned on and a fresh wave of tears welled up in my eyes.

_If I should stay,  
>I would only be in your way<br>So I'll go, but I know  
>I'll think of you every step of the way<em>

Every word lashed at my heart.

_And I will always love you.  
>I will always love you.<br>You, my darling you. Hmm._

My heart was beginning to fall from my chest.

_Bittersweet memories  
>That is all I'm taking with me.<br>So, goodbye. Please, don't cry.  
>We both know I'm not what you, you need.<em>

Heather looked at me and then her son. "Turn that off—."

"No!" I screamed. "Keep it on!" I clutched my sides as another round of grief passed through my body.

_And I will always love you.  
>I will always love you.<em>

This was the longest ride back to my house that I had ever been on. I peeked in the back window and saw Derek riding my bike. He was very close to us. _Close to me._

_I hope life treats you kind  
>And I hope you have all you've dreamed of.<br>And I wish to you, joy and happiness.  
>But above all this, I wish you love.<em>

I squeezed my eyes shut.

_And I will always love you.  
>I will always love you.<br>I will always love you.  
>I will always love you.<br>I will always love you.  
>I, I will always love you.<em>

I silently sobbed as I brought my knees up to my chest. The words were lashing at my very _soul_,but they were also comforting me. Heather took the exit that would lead us to the ranch.

_You, darling, I love you.  
>Ooh, I'll always, I'll always love you.<em>

I opened my eyes when Erik gently touched my arm. The first thing I saw was the flashing lights before I saw the house. The song faded as Erik turned the radio down, and deep in my stomach, I felt a small flame ignite.

When Heather pulled into the driveway I forced the door open before she came to a full stop (making the car frame groan) and rushed to the front door, suddenly I froze on the spot. My hand hovered over the handle and memories flooded my mind.

My dad, playing with me in the backyard; my dad, teaching me how to ride a horse; buying me Aquila, cuddling with me after my attack... Despite the fact that I was fifteen years old at the time, I felt safe when he did that for me.

"Emma," Derek murmured into my ear as he opened the door for me and wrapped his arms around my waist to support me. We walked forward, and the first paramedic looked at the two of us. "We're his daughter and son," Derek explained to the paramedic.

The man led us upstairs to my dad's room and I nearly collapsed to the floor. My dad was in his bed, half of his body slack from the stroke. "D-Dad…" I croaked. I didn't recognize him. He looked so different from the man that had told me to go to school this morning. He was a shadow—a husk of his former self.

The stranger in my father's bed weakly coughed and his almost dead eyes searched for something. "W-W-Where a-are m-my c-children?" he gasped as he looked at the female paramedic. That flame in my stomach grew slightly.

The woman looked directly at Derek and I. "They're here, sir. Like we promised you." The woman nodded. She had short, bob style hair with a few steaks of blonde laced with the light brown. Her hazel eyes were full of sadness and sympathy. "He's been talking with me, telling me stories about how you two are little monsters." She smiled as she wiped her eyes.

I nodded. "Yeah, the monsters." I managed to smile.

I saw a smile appear on my father's face. The paramedic walked away at the same time that I pushed Derek's arms from my waist and slowly walked forward. Tears were streaming down my face uncontrollably as I walked to my father's bedside. When I made it, I kneeled on the floor, resting my hand on my fathers. It felt so cold… so _dead_.

"E-Emma?" my father gasped. The oxygen that he was hooked up to was obviously just an effort in vain.

I nodded, looking down as tears kept falling. "Yeah, dad. I'm here," I whispered.

I felt Derek kneel next to me. "I'm right here dad," he murmured, his voice thick and cracking. He was crying.

I watched as our dad's right hand twitched. _His left side…_"I'm so sorry…" our dad gasped.

Derek and I looked at each other then our dad; his entire being looked frail. As in, if we simply touched him, he would break. I looked out the window and a flash of lightening appeared outside the window, illuminating the rain against the house. For a moment I thought I saw the woman that I never got to meet standing in the window. I shook my head and returned my gaze to my father.

I could feel my heart literally breaking into millions of little pieces as my father panted his last breaths. My sides were constricting as I kept crying, I looked out the window again and watched the rain. _Well, I guess we aren't the only ones crying tonight, _I thought.

My dad lifted the hand I was holding and cupped my face weakly. "Emma," he wheezed. My hand immediately went to the hand that was holding my face.

I held his hand, afraid that if I let go, he will never be able to feel again. "I'm here. So is Derek," I assured him.

He gave us both a weak smile and I bit my lip. "I'm sorry… I didn't… make it… to…" he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. _I'm sorry that I didn't make it to see you graduate…_

I wiped my eyes. "That doesn't matter to me," I wept. "It doesn't matter to _us_," I reiterated. "I just want you to get better."

Our dad's face contorted into a half smile, half frown and I only sobbed harder. I looked into his brown eyes and I could see the life fading from him slowly. This wasn't fair. It wasn't fair! I clenched my teeth and leaned into Derek for support.

"I don't… think… I will… get… better," my dad gurgled.

Every Assassin wasn't afraid to die. We accepted that part of our lives easily. But it was harder when you were dying of age and not by a blade of a Templar. At least the Templar would make it swift.

"My loves…" our dad wheezed as he looked at us. His once vibrant brown eyes dulled to the point that they almost looked black; the whites of his eyes were blood-shot…

Derek and I both burst into a fresh wave of tears and we slowly stood up. Derek leaned over our father and kissed his forehead. "I love you," he whispered to our father. "I always will love you."

Derek took a step back, allowing me to say my final goodbye. I stood up and I kissed my father's cheek. "I will always love you. Promise me that you'll find mom." The flame was now a fire that was growing by the second.

My father and I locked gazes. "Promise..." he croaked, a ghostly smile appearing on his face. "Find… her… tell her… I love… her…"

My eyes widened. "Find who?!" I piped up. "Who do you want me to find?!"

My dad's eyes closed and I knew that they weren't going to open anytime soon. Derek and I took a step back and the paramedics looked to us. "Please," I whispered. I didn't want him to be in so much pain anymore.

I felt my heart die as I watched my father take his last breath, and the paramedics took him off of the oxygen machine. I knew that, deep down, that part of my heart would never fully heal. Derek wrapped me in a tight hug as he cried into my hair and I cried into his chest. The paramedics gently placed the white sheet over our father's head.

"Time of death…" one of them murmured as they looked at the clock. I closed my eyes, blotting out the rest of that sentence. I didn't want to hear it; I _never _wanted to hear it. Not then, and not when I would be forty.

_Please mom, be there when he joins you. _Heather and Erik were waiting outside of the bedroom and Derek and I didn't meet their gazes, holding onto each other tightly.

"He's gone," I mumbled.

Heather broke down into tears and Erik swallowed as tears fell from his face. He wrapped his mother in a hug and the two of them stood there as the paramedics wheeled my father out of his room.

"Thank you…" I whispered hoarsely as they took my father.

They nodded with expressionless faces. They must've been used to saving people—not keeping them alive long enough for their patient to see his children and then just die. I could see it in their eyes that this scene would haunt them for a while. The woman stopped for a moment and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Your father was the kindest, sincerest, sweetest man that I have ever had the honour of meeting." The woman patted my shoulder. "He told me that you and your brother were his angels."

I shuddered as I tried to hold in the tears. _How could I still have tears left?!_

When I heard the front door close, everyone walked downstairs and we watched from the living room as the ambulance drove away. When I couldn't see the flashing lights anymore, I just turned around without a word, walked upstairs, and just let the fiery inferno consume me. I chucked a throwing knife at the wall;

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" I roared as I clenched my hand into a fist and smashed it against the wall. I cussed as my hand throbbed and I shook it out. I looked at the sky. "WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM FROM US?!"

Eventually I was overtaken with grief and I fell to the floor, curled up in the fetal position. "EMMA!" someone cried as they scooped me up in their arms and carried me to my bed. I felt their hand encompass my own. I recognized the persons scent. Derek.

"Stay," I croaked as I made room for him to sit and he held my hand. He looked at me with a dead expression; the same expression that must've been on my face.

"Of course," he murmured as he gently held my hand and rubbed circles with his thumb. Eventually, my eyes closed and I was falling into a black void. As I fell, I faintly heard music playing, no lyrics, just the instruments.

_"Find her…" _His words haunted my dreams. Who was I supposed to find? Would Heather know?

When I woke up, Derek was gone, and there were streams of sunlight entering my room. Rubbing my head, I looked at the clock and gasped. It was almost nine-forty five and I was still in my Assassin gear! My phone buzzing on top of my dresser woke me up further, and I saw that I had six missed calls from Casey. Yawning, I called her back.

She picked up on the third ring.

"_Hello?"_ Casey answered. It was really bad reception, then I realized _why_. I had forgotten that Casey was supposed to come over today! I put the phone on speaker and I started ripping my blades and jacket from my body and hastily shoving them under a blanket in my closet. I'd put them away later. Grabbing a shirt and jeans, I picked up the phone and turned the speaker phone off.

"C-Case? It's Emma," I mumbled, trying to keep the hysteria out of my voice.

_"Emma! Are you okay? You sound awful." _Her tone was wary. _Damn it! _Casey was my worst nightmare. She was able to tell when I was lying (which only reinforced my skills so that I could basically say that I had a sixth finger on my hand and get away with it).

I mentally fumbled for a moment. "I'm... I'm fine. Just had a rough night," I explained as I rushed to the bathroom. I splashed some cool water on my face.

_"All right." _Her tone was incredulous._ "I'll be over in about fifteen."_

I said goodbye to her and I quickly showered. Last night was still fresh in my mind, but I couldn't let Casey know what was wrong. After brushing my hair and pulling a regular white long-sleeved T-shirt on, I raced downstairs (not looking at the closed door that was a ways down from the bathroom) and ate a small breakfast. Heather was busy reading the paper, Erik and Derek were outside probably working on the bikes, since that's what they did whenever they were upset…

At exactly ten o'clock, Casey pulled up into the driveway and Heather looked at me.

"It's Casey, relax," I whispered as I raised a hand. _I have to remind myself that I need to speak with Heather about something._

Heather looked down into her coffee and nodded, her eyes blotchy. Casey knocked twice before I answered the door. I had already put the "brave face" on.

"Emma!" Casey smiled. "Where's you dad?" Her head was looking around the house—or, at least, the parts of the house she could see. She was dressed in a sunset orange T-shirt from Hollister, light blue jeans, and regular sneakers (Casey always dressed casual on the weekends).

I bit my lip and Heather gasped slightly, or sobbed. I managed to make a smile appear on my face, but Casey saw right through it.

"Em, what's going on? You _are _okay…aren't you?" Casey asked again, worry lacing her voice.

I looked back at Heather, who was getting ready to go upstairs (hiding her face behind her hair) and I looked back at Casey. I gripped her wrist and took her to the horses. "Come on, I need to tell you something." _And I don't want to break down right here…_

I released Casey's wrist as we approached the barn that had the horses and quickly pulled the horses out, throwing the saddles onto them. I easily mounted Aquila and Casey did the same with Spirit. Derek came out of the barn with a few oil stains on his bare chest. I had to crack a smile at that. He relaxed when he saw the smile on my face.

"We'll be back before lunch," I shouted, answering his silent question.

Derek shrugged and returned to the barn to help Erik. Casey and I took off at a steady trot and as we neared the first turn on the trail, I led Casey to a secret little space that my father found for me when I was recovering. I could still feel his presence here.

_"Whenever you need time to think, to grieve, come here, and I will always be with you."_

I bit my lip to stop myself from crying. Casey dismounted Spirit first and led him to the oak tree. "Okay, Em; we're in the middle of nowhere. Now what's wrong?" Casey pulled her blonde hair into a ponytail.

"I-I'm far from _okay_," I began cautiously, keeping my voice in check. "Something happened last night and it… just hurts," I continued very carefully. I dismounted Aquila and led her next to Spirit. I sat down near another oak tree and brought my knees up to my chest.

Casey placed a hand gently on my shoulder as she sat down next to me. "What happened?"

I ran my hand through my hair a few times, trying to find the courage to tell Casey what happened without bursting into tears. Unfortunately, no way worked. So I opted for the direct approach.

"I had to run some errands after school and before I came back..." I shook my head. "Heather called me, and said that there were paramedics at my house…" I looked into Casey's eyes, and confusion and horror were dominant in them. "My dad had a stroke," I finished, a tear escaping my eye.

I looked at the grass and I knew that Casey was paler than a sheet. "Is he… is he okay?" she asked. I could see her reaching for her phone to call Tanner but I placed a hand on her arm. She neatly folded her hands in front of her.

I rested my chin on my knees, tears free-falling from my eyes. "No, Case," I answered hoarsely as I wiped my eyes. "He didn't make it."

I felt Casey wrap me in a hug and I sobbed into her shoulder as I wrapped my arms around her. I wanted to tell her right there. I wanted to explain _everything _to her. _Why _I had to lie, _why_ I had to ditch her on numerous occasions, _why_ I sometimes came to school with a split lip and a black-eye. I wanted to say the four words: I. Am. An. Assassin. Four easy words that would make my life easier. But my voice betrayed me. It was trained into me to never speak those words to someone who was on the outside of the Brotherhood.

_"We work in the dark to serve the light…"_ The first part of the speech ran through my mind over and over.

Casey squeezed me tighter. "I'm so sorry, Emma. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't know…"

I took a deep, shaky breath and pulled away from Casey. "Thank you. Thank you for listening and being here. I know that I haven't been the best of friends lately..." I looked down. "And I _know_ that you didn't expect me to tell you something like this…"

Casey rolled her eyes at me. "I don't care about that. If there is anything that I can do to help you, name it. I'm sure Tanner would love to help you as well."

I looked at the horses, and then the grass. "It's just… a reality check I guess. I mean, my dad was the one that was always there for me… and now…" I trailed off.

Casey looked down. "He's gone," she whispered.

I nodded. "But I have to realize that he's in a better place now. That he's with my mom—wherever she is—and that he's happy."

Casey offered me a sympathetic look. "Do you still want me to hang around?"

I wiped my eyes again. "Yeah, I do. Unless you want to go home."

Casey scooted closer to me and placed a hand on mine in a comforting gesture.

"Until the end."


	6. Liabilities

**CHAPTER SIX:**

**Liabilities **

Casey had spent the evening with us and I found it nice that we were hanging out again. Maybe this was what I needed. Time to be myself—well, half of my real self. But in the back of my mind, was that dark reminder that she could never know the truth about me. I sighed and wrung my hands together, trying to find a loophole around that little law.

"_It's for their own good that they don't know about you, if they knew, then they would become targets—therefore liabilities…"_ The Mentor had told us on the last day of Training Camp in the summer of 2008

"Not to ruin your day Emma, but I have to get going," Casey smiled. "It's almost dinner time and my mom is always worried about thugs at night…"

It was almost dark out…I nodded and gave my best friend a hug as I escorted her out to her car. "I'll see you at school tomorrow," I smiled.

Casey waved good-bye as she pulled out of the drive-way. I grinned as I realized that Casey was able to bring some happiness back into the house. But still, even she couldn't erase the pain that last night brought.

When I walked back into the house, I found Heather reading. "Heather, can we talk?" I asked.

Heather put her book down and followed me up the stairs and into my bedroom. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked.

I sighed and looked at her. "I want to start over." Heather was about to open her mouth but I put a hand up to stop her. "I haven't been the best person to be around, and I would blame it on my Assassin duties, but in reality, it's just me, being an ass."

Heather looked confused. "Can you explain this to me a little bit better?"

I sighed as I sat down. "I want to start over, pretend everything that I have ever said and done to you before my father's death, never happened. I want to start fresh."

Heather's frown flipped into a smile. "I think we can do that," Heather agreed. "Just so you know, I never thought that you were rude or mean to me, Emma." I looked up at her. "In fact, I thought you were acting like that because you thought that I was trying to replace your mother…"

I blushed. "Well…" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "I'd never admit this to Derek or your son but, I _do_ see you as a mother sometimes. I mean, you were her _sister _for crying out loud! It's hard not to see the resemblance."

Heather laughed and we hugged. _Well, at least I made amends with her… _We walked back downstairs and before Derek or Erik could say something, the phone rang.

"Hello, Hale residence," Heather answered professionally. I walked over and sat on the arm rest of the sofa and crossed my arms, waiting patiently.

A few seconds later, Heather hung the phone up and smiled at us.

"What's going on?" Derek asked.

"Our Templar prisoner squealed and gave us the information necessary. We're to meet at Headquarters and receive the intel—." I didn't hear another word as I ran upstairs and grabbed my jacket and gear.

I was rather shocked that we managed to catch a Templar messenger to begin with, those guys are nearly as fast as I am.

I was standing by my window, zipping my jacket up, when I saw Derek get the Kawasaki Ninja ZX 14 – 185 prepared. Frowning, I walked out of my room and down to where my brother was prepping the dark red bike (Heather and Erik must've taken Heather's car).

"Are you serious?" I asked my brother as he tossed me the matching dark red helmet. Catching it, I flipped the visor up and slid the helmet onto my head.

Derek shrugged as he tossed me the keys to the bike. "Erik is messing around with your bike, so you have to deal with this one…"

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX 14 – 185 wasn't a slow bike, but it was just a pain to have to ride. It rode great, it was just that it was very touchy and I had to keep my eyes on the bike more often than the road some times.

Straddling the bike expertly, my Bluetooth beeped and I answered it to hear Heather's voice. _"You and Derek will go straight to the rendezvous point with Grant. He will fill you in on what we are getting."_

I revved the engine and slowly pulled out of the driveway, lowering the visor at the same time. "What are we getting exactly?" I asked as I hit the road at over sixty miles-per-hour. I looked in the side mirror and saw Derek tailing me.

"_Grant will inform you when you get there_," Heather repeated and I rolled my eyes.

"No, Heather. I'm not going in blind. What is it that we're going after?" I repeated, firmer, using my rank for the first time in a long time.

I could hear Heather grumbling under her breath but she answered eventually. _"There is a Memory Core inside the Vault at the Abstergo Building in Mid-Town. The Templar that was caught was a messenger for the people that were to give him the Memory Core and send it to the Harbor for transport. The only thing is, they said that they had no idea that what they were going to be carrying was valuable to Abstergo and us."_

"Then Abstergo isn't informing their couriers of what they are transporting…" I murmured. "But obviously the courier managed to get the address of the building?"

"_Yes, they did. Which is why I'm sending you and Derek into the field."_

I frowned as I merged onto the freeway and hit the gas. "But why didn't the others stop the messenger before he reached Abstergo?"

"_Probably because they didn't see the courier as anyone dangerous… Until William had said something, which of course, led to us being called," _Heather stated. My family was highly regarded in the Assassin world, but not so that everyone knew us by heart. _"And William sends his sympathy…"_

"Tell William that he can shove that sympathy up his ass," I growled.

"_Be nice," _Heather said, but I could hear the laughter in her voice. _"William had let the messenger go so that we could tail him to the building, and see who he was delivering to."_

"Of course William would do that…" I growled. "Makes our lives ten-times harder!"

"_Behave_."

I hung up on Heather and patched into Derek's feed. I told him what I learned and we started forming plans in our heads on how we were going to infiltrate the building and get what we needed.

"_I'm sure that we aren't going to be infiltrating anything, just getting information. Or if we do, William is gonna send other Assassins in after it. No need to risk one of his good friends kids for something so insignificant." _

Twenty minutes later, Derek and I saw a man wearing a jet-black hooded jacket waving at us.

The Assassins had three different styles of jackets. One: Dark grey which signified that you were a recruit or a recognized Assassin that hasn't reached the age of eighteen. Two: White with a red design of our choice, which recognized you as an official member of the Order and it symbolized your rank. Three: A black version of your white jacket, mostly used for stealth missions. Derek had worn his black jacket as well.

Grant Blake was a scout Assassin, so he always wore his black jacket more than his white one. He was also a good friend of my brothers.

We pulled to a stop and I removed my helmet. "Hey guys," Grant greeted. "Are you ready?"

I ran my hand through my hair and pulled my hood up over my eyes. "We were born ready," I grinned.

The three of us climbed a fire escape and I could already feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. This is what I needed. Something to clear my mind for a short while. I launched myself over the roof ledge and helped my brother up.

Grant slid past me and Derek and I walked over and crouched down, eyeing the building. "So, where is this Templar messenger exactly?" I asked as I looked at Grant.

Grant pointed down and I saw a figure wearing a black jacket with a Templar Cross on the left sleeve. "That's the latest fashion…" Grant grinned at me. "William let the messenger go so we could tail him. He's supposed to know when that Memory Core is being shipped out—."

"What? So we are only doing this to see if the Core is still in the States?" Derek asked rather irritatingly.

"Sorry bro, but William calls the shots…" Grant shrugged.

"Yeah, the worst choice for a Mentor…" I replied.

Grant chuckled silently and I looked harder to get a better look at our target. Male obviously, about my height—maybe a few inches taller. I grinned as I realized that I could take him easily.

"Em?" Derek breathed and I looked at him.

I looked at my brother and nodded. "I can take the messenger. Stay hidden and be ready for the kill," I whispered.

Derek nodded once and vanished from sight. Grant followed him and I took that as my chance and followed my target by roof. When my target turned down into a dead-end alley, I took that as my chance and leapt.

My target turned around and gasped as I stood up slowly, letting the impact from the jump run through my body.

"Assassin!" he shouted. Groaning, I unsheathed my left hidden blade, the city lights glinting off of the blade. I walked forward, watching the messenger closely. "What do you want from me?" He asked.

I stopped walking, we were only about three feet apart, and my left arm was tense, ready to strike. "The Memory Core, I want the information," I hissed. "You were already captured once by us, I won't hesitate to kill you…"

The messenger seemed to have seen through my words and unsheathed a dagger. I mirrored his moves and we circled each other in the tight space. The messenger took a few swipes at me, but on his third attempt, I was able to disarm him and hold his own blade to his throat.

"Pathetic if you ask me," I growled. "Abstergo is getting sloppy with the recruitment process…" I snarled.

The messenger began to panic. That was the most vulnerable, dangerous, and crucial time for interrogation. The trick was looking into their eyes. I looked into the messengers eyes and frowned. He was scared.

"I will let you go," I stated. "Just give me the information." I tossed the dagger away from us and pulled the collar of his shirt up so that he was looking at me.

"The Memory Core was supposed to be shipped to Rome. To the Head Quarters!"

"What is in the Memory Core…what's it go to? Where is it?!" I demanded as I shook the messenger a few times.

The messenger was starting to shake. "It was taken to the Harbor a half-hour ago. I just know that it's used for an Animus, I don't know what that machine is, or anything, I swear!"

An Animus was a machine that was rediscovered by Abstergo in the mid eighties. It allowed anyone to relive the genetic memories of their ancestors. I looked back down at my target and frowned. "That's all you know?"

The messenger frowned for a moment. "I think I remembering hearing something about a 'Piece of Eden', but aside from that, no, I know nothing else."

My eyes widened under the hood. "'Pieces of Eden'?" I asked, remembering my dad telling me something about the Pieces of Eden a long time ago.

"Y-Yes," the messenger stammered.

Before I could get anything else out of the messenger, Derek beeped in. _Did you get what we needed?"_

"Yes," I growled as I eyed the messenger.

"_I will meet you at the usual…_" Derek signed off.

Turning my Bluetooth off, I punched the messenger so hard in the fact that he was knocked out cold. I climbed a nearby fire escape and made my way back to Derek, when I heard a scream. Out of my own instinct—and curiosity—I followed the cry and I saw a girl getting mugged in an alley. I turned my Bluetooth on incase I needed back up.

"Give us the damn money!" one mugger snarled as he tried to grab the purse.

The girl squealed so loud that the muggers and I had to cover our ears.

"_Holy crap! Where are you?!"_ Derek half shouted.

Shaking my head, I turned the Bluetooth off again and watched from my rooftop perch.

"L-Leave…m-me…alone!" the girl squealed feebly as she tried to fight her attackers.

I heard a _thud_ then a whimper and I watched as the girl slumped to the ground. "Grab the purse!" the second mugger growled.

"Dude, we have to go! Surely the cops heard her squeal!" the first man argued. "Or someone else did and are calling the cops!"

Frowning, I tensed my muscles and jumped down behind the thugs. I kicked their legs out from under them and when they realized that they were under attack, they got up and faced me. Ignoring the unconscious girl behind me. I smiled as I drew my dagger and the thugs staggered back.

"Now," I said playfully. "I'm not the cops, but I do the same kinda work."

After the thugs recovered from their shock, they came at me and I dodged them with ease. As the second thug passed me, I gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him up to me, where my fist met his face. He fell like a sack of potatoes and his friend was suddenly as pissed off as a bull.

I looked around and found a rather tattered and old red scarf and held it to my side as if I was a Matador. "Toro, toro!" I grinned as I waved the scarf and the mugger suddenly turned red. He charged at me and I dodged him. "_Ol__é_!" I laughed.

Grinning, I taunted the thug continuously and eventually I grew bored. When he charged at me for the fifth time, he tried to grab my arm—only to have my foot meet his face. He joined his friend on the ground, groaning as he tried to stop the bleeding from his newly broken nose.

"Pigs," I spat at them. I walked over to the girl and gently placed a hand on their shoulder. "Are you okay?" I asked.

The girl didn't say anything. She kept sobbing. I frowned and crouched down so that I was eye-level with her. She wouldn't be able to see my eyes, but I would be able to get a better look at her. She turned away from my touch. "I won't hurt you," I assured her.

The girl started to shake and I realized that she must be getting cold. Her jacket was on the ground, dirtied by the struggle. For some reason, the jacket looked familiar to me. I wrapped the jacket around the girl and she clutched it tightly.

"What's your name?" I asked gently.

She didn't speak. I tried to get a name out of her, but she wouldn't talk. I knew this was scary for her, but if I was going to help her, I needed her name. I took a deep breath and turned the girl around and moved some hair away from her face. When I moved the hair, I staggered back. My eyes wide with shock and disbelief and suddenly, I couldn't remember how to breath.

The girl moved her head and cerulean blue eyes stared back at me, the dark blonde hair was a mess…

"_It's for their own good that they don't know about you, if they knew, then they would become targets—therefore liabilities…"_


	7. Faith

**CHAPTER SEVEN:**

**Faith**

**LOCATION: BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA**

**DATE: JUNE 2001**

Everyone was assembled in the center of camp. The older Assassin Recruits sparred with each other and other swapped stories. A few recruits were from the Italian branch and they were here probably to finish up their training.

This was the second week of June, and the second week of camp. Everywhere hurt on my body, and I was still no better than I was when I'd arrived.

The chatter escalated, but died down instantly as a burly man with greying black hair, a beard strode out of his tent. He looked eerily similar to Ezio Auditore—or, that's what Derek claimed. The man wore a sleeveless white hooded jacket, and two thick red lines ran down the front and back of it.

"All of you will assemble swiftly and silently every morning. If you do not, you will answer to me," the man declared in a deep voice that was almost like a growl.

The older recruits went rigid and stood regal while the new meat (a.k.a. me and every other seven-year-old there) remained unsure and vulnerable.

"You are all Assassin _recruits_." The man spat the word. "Weaklings in the eyes of your superiors. It's my job to make _you_ the superior ones. If you can't take the challenge of being an Assassin, if you can't make the _kill_ like an Assassin should, you will be removed from camp, _and_ the Brotherhood!" I cringed inwardly.

Everyone nodded, and I realized that I was afraid, but I kept it to myself. The burly Assassin walked over to the seven-year-olds, eyeing each of us. I suddenly felt small and weak. Compared to the others, I looked like a deer caught by a pack of wolves. I barely cleared eighty pounds, and I was only four feet tall!

"And _daddy_," the Assassin said as he loomed over me, "won't be able to have a say in that decision."

I gulped and looked down the line to see Derek and Erik staring at me, then each other. Erik was a year younger than me, but Heather insisted he go before I did. I could see it in my brothers' eyes: _This was a mistake. She shouldn't be here yet!_ I glared at them, not willing to give them the satisfaction of the knowledge that this Master Assassin was getting to me. My brother and half-brother shivered at my stare.

Returning my gaze to the front, I looked up at the huge wooden pole. With quick movements, the Master Assassin that had jus spoken to me grabbed an arrow and a bow. Firing the arrow to the top of the pole where it embedded itself deep into the wood, he lowered his arms and eyed us.

He didn't turn fully around as he spoke the next few words. "Templars _do_ _not_ hesitate to kill. If you're not fast enough, they will slaughter you. Even an injured Templar is deadly."

The Master Assassin turned to face us, his face stern, and the scar on his face that I finally noticed was obviously a dark reminder to him. Derek had told me that this Master Assassin, Master Orson, I think his name was, was a survivor of an Assassin betrayal—by the ones he'd called friends.

Derek stepped forward. "Derek, thank you for volunteering," Master Orson growled.

Derek inclined his head and took a step towards the pole. Even as a seven-year-old, I couldn't help but notice that Derek had the fine contours of a young teenager. _He's been at this longer though…_

"One moment, you seem to be missing something," the Assassin said as another Master walked forward with what appeared to be a weighted belt.

Derek put the belt on and I saw him grunt at the extra weight. "You're going to need all of your strength to reach that arrow," Master Orson announced so everyone would hear. "We will do this every day until someone reaches it!"

Derek started to climb, but half-way up; he fell back to the ground. A few older Assassin recruits snickered, but after they went up, they had achieved the same result. Eventually, I was given the weights. I made it up higher than Derek, but I fell on my back.

Orson groaned as he rubbed the back of his head. "This is going to be a _long_ summer…"

We were divided up into two groups: Group One and Group Two. I was in Group One, and we were going on a long-distance run with weighted packs. After the run, we would be spending the rest of the day training in combat. Master Orson had said that there was a "special treat" for us when we started the combat portion of the training.

I led the group for a short while, but, eventually, the heat was getting to me and I fell back from exhaustion. My vision blurred vehemently, and I found myself hurling up my meagre breakfast of toast and water as I knelt on the ground. I knew that I was still young, but this was no excuse! My back was screaming in pain, my legs shook violently in protest.

"Get up! Do you think the Templars will wait for you?!" Orson thundered as he crouched down to my eye-level. He was in my group, sadly.

I shakily got up and started running again. I was _way_ behind the rest of the group, so I pushed myself to go faster—only to trip and fall again. Tears were streaming down my face and I felt someone grabbing me by the scruff of my t-shirt and I wailed at being handled like that.

"Pathetic," Orson growled as he set me down. I rubbed my eyes as he removed the pack from my shoulders. "Go to the medical tent."

I shuffled my way to the medical tent and a woman with pale green eyes and strawberry-blonde hair looked up. "Oh my…" she said as she walked over and carried me to a cot.

I cried in agony as she cleaned my scrapes and sighed as she put an icepack on my forehead. "Orson doesn't realize that there are little kids that haven't done this before…" The woman frowned. "I think he's too obsessed in making the perfect Assassin. No one is perfect."

"Only… legendary," I whimpered.

The Assassin stroked my cheek and smiled. "That too. Are you okay?" she asked me in a tone that reminded me of Heather when Erik would get hurt.

"Mhm…" I frowned as I looked at my legs and saw them bandaged up tightly.

"You just scraped your knees up. Here," the Assassin said as she handed me some water. "Drink it slowly or—."

I gulped the water down but suddenly I was leaning over the side of the cot, hurling it back up.

"—your body will reject it," the Assassin finished as she handed me another glass. I sipped it slowly that time. I was up and sitting when I saw another Master walk in with another seven-year-old. The girl looked familiar and I realized that we were sharing a tent.

She had dark red hair—almost a burgundy color, grass-green eyes, and an innocent-looking face that had a nasty bruise forming on her right cheek. I stood up and helped support the girl as the Master set her down. "Master!" I cried as the medical Assassin rushed over.

"She was with the second group?" the medical Assassin asked.

The Master nodded. "She was paired up with an older recruit and things got out of hand."

The medical Assassin nodded and I helped my tent buddy sit on the cot that I had occupied. "Hi, I'm Emma," I told my tent buddy. "Emma Hale."

"Lilly. Lilly Tranes," my tent buddy replied as best as her swollen jaw would allow. "Emma… Ooh! How 'bout I call you Emmy?!"

I giggled. "That's a new nickname for me. I just go by Em mostly."

"Emmy is better."

I smiled and Lilly and I started talking about random things. Turned out, she was from Chicago, and so she was an hour behind me. I told her about my horse and she seemed almost envious of that little detail.

After the medical Assassin had checked me over, she'd given me the O.K. to return to the rest of the group.

I walked around and I bumped into a Master Assassin with aviator sunglasses on. "S-Sorry Master! I was just looking for my group!" I stammered as I inclined my head.

"No worries." The Assassin smiled as she patted my shoulder. "I'm actually heading over to the fighting area to show a group how to fight. I can take you if you'd like."

I beamed at her and the Assassin frowned. Suddenly unsure, I lowered my head and the Assassin smiled as she crouched down. "Doesn't that hair get in the way?"

I played with my long hair. "Sometimes… But it doesn't really bother me."

The Assassin beamed as she reached under a bracer and removed a hair band, and swiftly tied my hair back. "There, is that better?"

I nodded and the Assassin clasped my hand in hers to lead me to the group. I spotted my brother and half-brother talking, so I pulled my hand away from the Master Assassin and ran over to them.

"Hey!" I greeted as Derek and Erik looked at me.

"Hey Em, what happened? One minute we pass you as you fall, and the next, you're walking from the medical tent. So, what happened?" Derek asked.

"Exhaustion." I felt someone staring at me and I turned to see Master Orson eyeing me, and I didn't return the gaze. It was obvious that he hated me.

He walked in front of everyone and we all lined up. "I have seen Number Four in action," he called out as everyone fell silent before him. "She has the potential to be Number One, but for some reason, she refuses to take that spot."

I didn't move my eyes from the view in front of me, which was the woods. _I really want to run through the woods, just to feel at home…_

"So, all of you _recruits_ are lucky enough to have the Number Four Assassin observe you all while you fight," Master Orson finished as the crowd started murmuring amongst themselves. I didn't move my eyes, even when an older Assassin walked in front of my line of vision and stood next to Orson. The Assassin was obviously a girl, but she looked at least ten years older than me. _It's the same Assassin that led me here!_

"Thank you for that introduction, Orson," Number Four replied, and I noted the hint of sarcasm in her voice. I was really good at reading someone's tone of voice. My dad called it an extra talent, and I loved using it on my brothers. "I'm just here to observe and offer my assistance if it's needed. Nothing more." Number Four smiled, and so I finally decided to examine her.

Her face was concealed under a white hood, but it almost seemed as if her eyes were looking at everyone, taking them in. She wore a dark red T-shirt, her jacket was similar to Master Orson's (minus the red design), she wore bracers for some reason, and I could see something against her skin that slunk out beneath her bracers.

Number Four's gaze rested on me (I think) and, blinking, I looked at the forest behind the other Assassins.

"Come on, Em," Derek muttered as he dragged Erik and I to a fighting space. When we made it to the fighting ring, Derek tossed me and my half-brother into the ring. "Ding ding!" Derek grinned as he sat on the grass, waiting for Erik and I to start fighting.

"C'mon, Em!" Erik goaded. His voice was small, and it sounded scared. I frowned as I lowered into a fighting stance, legs shoulder-width apart, hands in front of my face.

"Hurry up, Erik. I promise that I won't make fun of you…" I grinned. Erik's face went red and he charged at me.

I ducked as Erik swung a punch at me and I kicked his legs out from under him, making him land in the dirt. In one movement, I leapt, flipped Erik over so that he was on his stomach, and I forced his face into the dirt. "Pin!" I stated as I got off of my half-brother.

I heard someone walking over and I thought it was Master Orson, until I heard the voice. "Not too bad," Number Four's said as she walked over, clapping. "Your form is a little sloppy, but you're only a kid after all."

I beamed and Erik got up into a kneeling position. "Geez!" he complained as he wiped his forehead and looked at me. "That's not fair! You're older than me!" Erik frowned at me as I walked over and ruffled his hair.

I watched as Number Four smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

I grinned. "What's Der's excuse—_hey_!" I exclaimed as Derek picked me up by my stomach and pounded me into the dirt. Suddenly, I was hyper-aware that Number Four was watching me closely. I didn't want to look weak in front of her.

Derek grinned as he held my arms to the side. "Stop calling me that—_holy_!" Derek croaked as I kneed him in the "privates". Derek rolled off of me, so I stood up and pinned him. He was actually _crying_ from that blow.

"Pin!" I stated again and Number Four was laughing. Derek rolled onto his side and started whimpering, tears staining his face.

"That's one for the books!" Number Four laughed. The other's stopped fighting and looked our way and I blushed a deep red.

I smiled sheepishly and ducked my head. "Thank you, Master."

Number Four crouched down and ruffled my hair. "You kinda remind me of my own brother. He was always a menace." I giggled and Number Four stood up. "I think you could save your energy if you didn't move so far away from the swing. Just a few inches are enough," Number Four suggested. "And, I take it that 'Der' is your brother?"

"Yep." Number Four looked at Erik and then back at me. "He's my half-brother. My Aunt Heather's son."

Number Four helped him up and Erik swayed for a moment before he shoved the Master Assassin aside and tackled me to the ground. I was able to get out of his grip and stand up in my fighting crouch, hands raised.

Erik threw a punch my way and I rolled away, standing up quickly. Number Four was tending to Derek, probably trying to help him find his voice.

Erik kicked his legs out towards mine and I jumped to avoid the attack. When I landed, I spun and aimed my foot at Erik's side.

I grinned as I made impact and Erik fell over, gripping the area I hit, tears forming in his eyes. "Well..." Number Four smiled as she looked at me. "Templars will _definitely_ have to watch out when you get older."

I looked down and kicked the dirt, my hands behind my back, portraying my "innocent" look. "I'm not exactly the fastest or strongest here…" I murmured.

Number Four walked over to me—completely forgetting about my brother—and crouched down again. "Being the fastest or strongest right now doesn't matter. What does is having _fun_."

I looked up and shivered at the sight of Number Four being so close to me. I saw that she had dark brown hair that seemed to be pulled back into a ponytail. "Really?"

Number Four nodded and ruffled my sweaty hair again; more of it was escaping the hair band that Number Four had given me. "I think when you're older; you'd be a good match for me."

I grinned. "By the time I'm your age, you'll be _really old_," I replied with a smile. Number Four threw her head back and laughed.

After she recovered from her fit of giggles, she looked at me. "How old are you, squirt?" she asked.

"Seven," I replied, and pouted as I crossed my arms. I didn't like it when someone didn't call me by my name, or by my nickname.

Number Four chuckled. "I'm only ten years older than you. So, in ten years, I'll be twenty-seven. Look me up and challenge me to a fight sometime." Number Four smiled.

I grinned back, and was shocked that Number Four opened her arms wide. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Well, you aren't going to leave me hanging are you?" I looked at the inside of her bracers and saw the hidden blades. I didn't pay them any attention. I was too used to using them at home.

"Huh?"

Number Four laughed. "A hug. I just wanted to give you a hug, but if you aren't the hugging type—oh!" Number Four gasped as I wrapped my arms around her torso and squeezed tightly. For some reason, the hug felt… natural.

"Thank you for the advice. I promise, someday, I'll be just as good as you!" I said as I looked at her. "And I'll look for that fight!"

Number Four smiled and I let her go so she could watch the others. She walked gracefully from our station, and I couldn't help but giggle as a few of the boys were eying Number Four up and down.

"Kiss butt," Derek wheezed as he stood up.

I glared at him. "Smartass, what the hell were you thinking, throwing Erik and I in the ring?"

Derek crossed his arms. "I wanted some entertainment."

I grumbled as I walked over to Erik, who was still moaning. "Asshole," I growled at Derek.

**_/-\_**

A few minutes later, Master Orson had called everyone to gather and we stood in a straight line. Number Four looked up and down the line and her eyes rested on me (again, I wasn't too sure). Derek looked like he had just gotten done fighting a tornado—not that there was much of a difference between me and a tornado.

"It has been brought to my attention by Number Four that some of you possess excellent combat skills," Master Orson stated. "So, at that, I will allow anyone brave enough to step forward and _fight _Number Four!"

Derek nudged Erik's side. "Ten bucks that you fight her and de-hood her."

Erik rolled his eyes. "I'm not that dumb. Number Four would kill me!"

I barely paid any attention to my brothers as I eyed Number Four, looking for any weaknesses that I could easily expose but, sadly, I barely found any on her. Almost as if she felt my gaze, I looked away at the same time she looked at me.

"Give me some of that action," I replied as Derek was trying to coax Erik into a bet.

Derek and Erik looked at me. "Em, Number Four _will kill you_! Perhaps seriously injure you—if you're _lucky_!"

I grinned. "Ten bucks that I can't de-hood her _and _pin her." Derek looked at my extended hand and shook it.

"It's your funeral…" he murmured as he released my hand.

"So," Master Orson bellowed, "no one is brave enough?!"

_"I think when you're older; you'd be a good match for me…" _Number Four's words rang in my ears clear as day and I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I volunteer," I stated firmly as Number Four's jaw dropped when she saw me. Orson made a noise in the back of his throat that could easily be mistaken for disgust.

"Very well, _recruit_." Master Orson gestured for me to walk forward and I inclined my head respectfully.

I walked into the fighting ring. I couldn't tell if Number Four was either shocked or impressed that I had just volunteered to fight her. I was slightly nervous, but it was in my blood to not show that.

"You know," Number Four said as she crossed her arms, "when I had said that 'you would be a challenge in a fight', I didn't mean that you should fight me at the first chance you got."

I shrugged. "I made a bet with my older brother and I don't want to lose."

Number Four smirked, and I had a feeling she had an eyebrow raised. "Oh, did you? A seven-year-old girl bet her older brother? Pray tell, what did you bet him?"

I smiled. "Ten bucks that I could de-hood you _and_ pin you."

Number Four laughed as she looked down and kicked the dirt with her shoe. "All right, fair enough. But I'm warning you, just 'cause your only seven years old doesn't mean I'm gonna take it easy on you."

"I never said that I wanted you to take it easy did I?" I challenged.

Number Four inclined her head. "If you aren't going to give it your all, you're just wasting my time by doing this."

I lowered into my fighting stance and Number Four mirrored my moves. "I'm not scared," I stated. I heard the crowd murmur amongst themselves. Suddenly, Derek was being bombarded by other recruits that wanted to place bets. Even a few Masters were in on the action.

Number Four frowned as she shot her right fist forward.

For a second, my eyes widened as I watched the hand coming at me and at the last second, I ducked, rolled away from the attack, and landed in a crouch. "What the hell…?" Number Four growled as her fist hit empty air. I didn't hesitate; I wasn't in her line of sight. I had rolled so that I was behind her and her hood was _right there_.

"Go for the hood!" Derek hollered as I leapt towards Number Four's legs. She gasped when she hit the ground.

Quickly, I scrambled off of the Master Assassin and prepared to be on the defensive. "Well..." Number Four grinned as she wiped some dirt from her jacket. "You certainly have the instinct of an Assassin."

I didn't let the praise get to me. I knew that I needed to focus. Number Four and I circled each other, my eyes always cautious of her hidden blades. It wasn't unlike someone of her rank to use them against a new recruit.

I wondered what we looked like to the Assassins that were watching us. A little pup facing down a pissed off mountain lion? That'd probably be a good analogy…

"Bravo," Number Four grinned, "you're also focused. Something that a seven-year-old doesn't normally achieve."

I grunted a response and looked closely. I made a split-second decision. I moved for her right, and she fell for it. As she turned to defend her right side, I lunged to the left and my left shoulder connected with her stomach. She grunted as she fell (gripping my T-shirt and tearing the sleeve off incidentally) and I fell with her.

Instantly, she was on top of me and I struggled. I connected a few punches to her jaw and she stumbled back, spitting some blood out, but she didn't seem phased by it. I jumped to my feet and rotated my shoulder, my breaths coming out in pants rather than the steady breaths that Number Four seemed to have. She wasn't even phased that I had gotten her to the ground twice already.

She shot another punch my way and her advice ran clear in my head. Side-stepping a few inches, I gripped Number Four's arm, and with the right pressure and tweak of my hand, I had Number Four on her back, staring up at the sky.

_My dad's a good teacher…_ I thought smugly.

"Holy shit!" an older recruit hollered. "Did she just do that?! Looks like we're gonna have a new Number Four soon!"

I turned my head and that was a mistake. Number Four lunged at me and was straddling my waist as she held my arms at my sides. "Where'd you learn _that _move?" she asked as she brought her head close to mine.

Grinning madly, my head connected with hers and she stumbled back. I stood up as I rubbed my head and looked at her. "I used it a hundred times on Der!" I retorted. I was still seeing stars.

"All right, so a simple 'pin' isn't going to be enough. I saw your weakness right away." Number Four grinned. "You're _too sure_ of yourself!"

Frowning, I went on the defensive and Number Four suddenly seemed to have slunk into a new position and lunged at me. "ARGH!" I wailed as I landed on my back, and that was when I took my chance. Through the mess of hair and hands, I was able to grip the beak of Number Four's hood and tear it off of her head—enough to see her eyes.

Bad idea.

Number Four threw me off of her, into the air, and before I hit the ground she grabbed my pants. Or, at least, she grabbed _for_ them... I think. Her hand latched onto my undies, and the next thing I knew, I had the most severe wedgie of my entire life. She spun me around, and when she believed she had enough momentum, she released my poor, stretched underwear and sent me flying across the ring.

I cried out in pain as I slid along the ground. When I came to a stop, my back was on fire, and I was biting my lip so hard that I tasted blood. Number Four stood over me, readjusting her hood so that her face was hidden, but a triumphant smile adorned her lips.

"I guess you're _definitely _gonna be a threat to the Templars when you're older. No one's almost de-hooded me in a long time," Number Four said.

I whimpered, and felt two pairs of hands help me up.

"Take her to the medical tent... _again_," I heard Orson growl.

"Good job, Em!" Derek muttered close to my ear. "Dad's gonna be so proud!"

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was staring into a pair of aviator glasses. "Good, you're up." Number Four smiled as she handed me a small glass of water. "I thought that I'd been too harsh on you."

I slowly sat up and rubbed my head, but my back erupted in pain. "OW!" I shrieked, and Number Four put a hand over my mouth.

"Shush! It's just a rash! Um... sorry about that, by the way…" Number Four turned and waved the approaching medical Assassin away. "She just aggravated her back, I'll take care of it," she assured her.

My eyes widened as I felt the familiar constriction of a bandage around my entire torso. "Oh man, Master Orson is gonna really hate me now…" I whimpered. "He already thinks I'm weak!"

Number Four smiled as she patted my knee. "No worries. I'm sure once someone gets that friggin' arrow off of that da—darn pole, I'm sure he'll be in a better mood."

I took a deep breath and looked back up at Number Four. "Why do you wear shades inside?" I asked as I tilted my head to the side.

Number Four shrugged. "I just do. My eyes're sensitive to the light."

I brought my knees up to my chest and I winced as my back flared in pain. "You look really pretty regardless..." I muttered as a tear fell from my eye. It was from the pain. I'd never experienced so much in my life…

I jumped as Number Four barked in laughter. "Sorry if I scared you, but not many people compliment me on that! Normally, they're calling me something else…"

I shrugged. "Well, the Templars are idiots." I grinned. "As are all the boys who're too scared to talk with you…"

Number Four laughed again. "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. I haven't had a good fight like that in _ages_, and with a kid, no less!" She ran a hand through her hair, under her hood. "Besides, only one guy has really ever caught my eye, but... he…" Number Four trailed off.

"He found someone else?" I finished for her.

Number Four nodded. "Yeah. He found someone else."

I sat cross-legged on the cot and took a bite out of the apple that was sitting on the table next to the cot. "Well, he's the unlucky one."

Number Four smiled, but even through those sunglasses, I saw a strange color behind them. Though, mostly, I saw something else. Pain?

"You're really inquisitive, you know that?"

"Inquisi—what?" I stammered.

"Curious, and a good listener," Number Four clarified.

I shrugged and took another bite from the apple.

Number Four shook her head. "I'm serious! I mean, yeah, Numbers One through Three could give me a run for my money. But I'm talking about a little kid." Obviously, the conversation about our fight was back on her mind, and she wanted to change the subject badly. So, I let her.

"I'm not 'little'." I pouted.

Number Four smiled. "My brother used to say that all the time. Imagine what happened when he poured honey in my hair."

"All hell broke loose?" I asked innocently. Number Four's eyes widened. "What?"

"You're a little girl, and you _swore_?!"

I shrugged. "I've been calling my brother an ass since I was five."

Number Four looked like she was ready to keel over, and so I patted her knee. "Master?" I whispered. Number Four snapped out of it and finally smiled.

"Just… don't use that language around me, okay? I'm kinda really uptight about kids your age using those words. I had to punish my two brothers all the time because their ears would pick up those words, yet nothing of their lessons."

I looked down and blushed. "So, how bad is the rash?" I asked.

"Nothing too bad. Looks like a sunburn."

I grinned, but when I looked up, Number Four had already departed. She left her shades on the table at the foot of my cot and I frowned in confusion. I tried to follow her to return her glasses, but she was already half-way across the camp and training the other recruits.

I looked at the glasses and decided that maybe I would give them back later.

**_/-\_**

I returned to my tent where Lilly was sitting on her cot, gazing at a photo of she and her family, I presumed. Once she saw me, her eyes lit up.

"Is it true?!" she squealed as she jumped up and hugged me. I hissed in pain and she let go of me instantly. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Yeah, it's true. I fought Number Four and I _almost _de-hooded her. Who knew someone had _that _much strength in them to send me flying across the ground…?"

Lilly was about to respond when Master Orson walked in, his scarred face set in a permanent line of disgust as he handed me a thick slip of paper. I took the paper and opened it—only to tremble at the words and drop the paper.

"Why?!" I screamed at him.

He didn't respond. I looked down at the letter again.

_"You will be escorted from camp at dawn…" _The words stung more than if I was bitten by a poisonous snake.

**_/-\_**

I was walking with my bag slung over my shoulder, and I was crying—crying because I had failed. I wouldn't be an Assassin. I wouldn't be like my father and brother. I wouldn't be someone who fought for the right thing.

And I had almost _beat_ _Number_ _Four_! "This isn't_ fair_!" I whined to my escort. They didn't answer me.

It was early in the morning, and one of the Masters was escorting me to the gates where we were to be picked up when I passed the wooden pole and looked up. Something in my mind snapped into place, because the next thing I knew, I ripped my hand from the Master Assassin's grip and raced towards the pole.

My veins were filled with liquid fire and I wanted to use that new strength.

"Stop, Emma!" the Master called. I threw my bag on the ground, ran for the weighted belt and hurriedly secured it around my waist. After it was fastened, I ran at the pole with as much speed as I had and leapt.

The impact rolled through my body but I ignored it and started climbing. I slid down a few feet, but I gritted my teeth and kept going. A few recruits that had risen for a morning jog watched me and whistled encouragement—prompting other recruits appear from their tents. Derek and Erik were cheering madly as I kept climbing and I passed the point from where I fell.

_"You are weak! You are nothing!"_

I grunted in defiance of what Orson had done to me—of what he had _said _to me. I was _not _weak! I was _not _a disgrace! I was an_ Assassin_!

My hands gripped around the shaft of the arrow and I ripped it from the wood. Placing it in my mouth, I perched myself on top of the pole and looked down at the cheering crowd of Assassin recruits and Masters. I grinned as I looked down at the cheering faces and one of the Masters. Number Four had a huge grin on her face, her right hand resting on her hip.

I looked around and saw a haystack resting a few feet from the pole. I removed the belt from my waist and dropped it (a few recruits hollered with joy as it hit the ground), then tensed my muscles as I looked at the haystack.

_Faith… You need to have faith!_ I thought as I took a deep breath and leapt. My arms spread wide as I flipped easily onto my back and I heard the cheers turn into cries of worry and fear. I landed on my back, in the hay and I laughed as I heard nothing from outside.

Jumping out of the hay, I brushed my shirt off, and the Assassins looked at me like I had just killed a Templar. I smiled as my brothers ran over and picked me up in two sweaty hugs.

"You did it!" Derek screamed as he hugged me. "You did it!"

I laughed as they tossed me into the air and landed easily on the grass. I glanced at Master Orson, who had a shocked look on his face because the "weakling" had accomplished such a feat. The crowd cheered again and I laughed as I was picked up by Derek and he rested me on his shoulders.

"Looks like the Templars better watch out!" Derek boasted as Erik yanked me down. He was strong for a six-year-old. I giggled as I was passed around and the Assassins patted my shoulder or hugged me. I came up to Number Four and she smiled as she inclined her head.

"Good job, squirt." She spread her arms wide again and I walked into the hug.

I was pulled away and passed around again. I reminded myself that I needed to return Number Four's glasses to her, but when I looked around for her, she wasn't anywhere to be found.

I knew I'd see her again. I just knew it.

Little did I know that, ten years later, my life would take a drastic turn…


	8. Doubts

**CHAPTER EIGHT:**

**Doubts**

**LOCATION: NEW YORK **

**YEAR: 2011 **

I was changing in the locker room when I sensed someone behind me. My mind was scattered after what had happened with Casey.

I had taken her home, and that was a trip that I didn't want to have to repeat…

_After I had recovered from my shock, I walked over and helped Casey to her feet. She barely said a word the entire time, and I was grateful that I wasn't required to speak. We stumbled up a few blocks, but that was because Casey was shaking and couldn't control her body's muscle control. _

_Eventually, we came across a familiar door and I knocked three times, holding Casey against my side as I tried to support her weight._

"_Hell—Casey!" Mrs. Thrones exclaimed as she brought her shaken up daughter close to her. "Thank you! Please, allow me to reward you."_

_I shook my head and inclined my head respectfully and took off running for the alley that was a few blocks away. I had to hide the bodies, or I had to get out of the area. Period. _

"Holy crap Em! What happened?" Casey nearly shouted and she pulled me from my thoughts.

My face paled and I hastily pulled my shirt back on and kicked myself in the butt mentally. Slowly, I turned around and looked at my friend. "What are you talking about?" Casey had a bruise forming across her face, but you couldn't see it with the extreme amounts of make-up that she had applied to her face.

Casey's jaw was on the floor and she gave me a look that said it all. "That-that-that _scar_ on your shoulder. How'd you get it—_where'd _you get it?!" She was really wired now. "I mean, you _aren't _a fighter!"

I had to hold back a strangled laugh. I crossed my arms for a minute, trying to figure out a lie. Finally, one popped into my head. "I was riding my bike, when I fell. The glass from the mirror cut into my shoulder," I explained. "It's really sensitive to the touch."

Casey looked at me closely and I could tell that she wasn't buying it. "Em, I'm not stupid. What's going on?"

I grabbed my books and sighed. "Nothing Case. Nothing is going on. I just fell and cut myself a while back."

Casey rolled her eyes at me and I could see the rage and hurt behind her "happy face". She wanted to know the truth and I couldn't give her that luxury. I brushed past my best friend and before I could join the rest of the class, Coach Harter pulled me aside.

"I'm deeply sorry about your father Emma," he muttered.

I raised an eyebrow. "How'd you—?"I watched with shock as Coach Harter put his right fist over his heart and inclined his head.

"Assassin…?" I whispered quietly. Coach Harter nodded.

"Your father came up with the idea to plant Assassin's in public jobs to see where the Templars have big influence," he explained quietly.

I remembered my dad mentioning something about "behaving" because he had people "watching me". Now I knew what he meant by that. "Smart…"

I was just about to walk away, when Coach Harter pulled me aside again. "Did your father find Number Four before he passed away?"

I shook my head. "No sir, I've even gone out and looked for her when I had some time to kill. It's like she up and vanished. Which is strange considering that if William doesn't have tabs on all of us, my father normally did."

"Well, if you're up for a brawl, I'm sure you could take her place…"

"_Holy shit!" an older Recruit hollered. "Did she just do that?! Looks like we are gonna have a new Number Four soon!"_

I grinned at the memory and shook my head. "Nah, I don't believe in ranking Assassin's based on their skills. Kinda pointless when you're facing an army of Templars. They don't care about rank." I rubbed the back of my head. "To me, it seems to give those Assassins a huge head." I grinned. "I also dubbed them the Mentor's 'Lap Dogs', since they always seem so damn eager to please the son of a bitch…"

Coach Harter patted me on the back. "Definitely your father's daughter."

I however put a hand up to defend myself. "But, I _do _owe Number Four a lot."

"Explain?"

I laughed and shifted the books in my arm to the other one. "When I was at Camp when I was seven, she gave me a reason to try my hardest. She had faith in me. That's also why I want to find her. Because I want to thank her, and show her what I'm capable of—."

Coach Harter did a double take. "That was _you_? The little girl who nearly pinned Number Four and flipped her on her back?"

I blushed and looked down. "I guess that little detail hasn't been forgotten yet…"

Coach Harter clapped me on my right shoulder and grinned. "Well, if she ever is found, I'm sure she'd be proud that you've come so far…"

"I hope you're right."

The rest of the day went by smoothly and I was sitting on the grass, beneath a tree, eating my lunch when I spotted Casey and Tanner walking over. I smiled as I realized that my friend was back to being himself. The two of them took a seat on the grass and started eating while I looked over some Italian notes.

I felt their eyes on me so I looked up and swallowed my food. "What's wrong?" They looked at me then each other. "Is there something wrong? Are you two dating now or something?" I asked, hoping to get a response.

"No way!" Casey blurted. "We just want to know what's up with you. One minute you're normal, the next you're serious, cold, and calculated. What's up with that?"

I rubbed my eyes for a minute as a small headache pounded through my skull. "If you two just came here to pester me about why I'm not myself, you know why Casey," I glowered at her. Tanner looked confused. "You know that I lost my dad. Of course I'm not going to be 'normal' for a while."

Tanner rubbed the back of his head. "Oh man, I'm so sorry Em," he frowned as he looked at me.

I shrugged and looked back down at my notes. "Sai quando il prossimo esame é (Do you know when the next exam is)?" I asked Tanner.

Casey groaned as she ate her turkey sandwich. "Speak English!" She absolutely _hated _it when Tanner and I spoke Italian in front of her. Which is why we did it _constantly._

Tanner chuckled and looked at me. "Penso che la signor Peters ha detto Giovedi, ma non sono sicuro (I think Mr. Peters said Thursday, but I'm not sure)."

"Grazie (Thank you)," I replied as I closed my notebook and leaned back on the grass. My brain was fried with all the terms that I had just looked at—not that I was failing Italian; in fact, I was getting an A.

Tanner turned his powder blue eyes on Casey and I had to smile. Those two looked so much alike that you could mistake them for siblings. In fact, the first day I met them I thought they were brother and sister.

"I had some nachos at the concert. I was fine, up until Casey brought me home, then I started spewing chunks like crazy!" he laughed and I couldn't help but giggle at his misfortune. "I would've told you the other day, but I didn't think that telling you that in class was a good idea."

"From both ends?" I asked and Tanner nodded as he blushed. For some reason, Tanner seemed to be blushing _a lot _around me lately and it was rather odd of him to do that. "And telling me while I'm eating my _lunch_ is a perfect time to tell me?" I continued as I took a bite out of my salad.

"So…" Casey trailed off. Her eyes went wide as I saw a shadow loom over me and I turned to see Bertha Georges towering over me. Groaning, I stood up and faced Bertha, who looked more like a man than a girl—no doubt the 'roids she took on the side were to thank for that.

"What do you want Bertha?" I grumbled. Today _was not _a good day to piss me off. "I'm not in a good mood."

Bertha shoved me to the side and I barely managed to regain my balance. Casey shook and after I shook my head, I leapt in front of her and Tanner. "Get out of the way!" Bertha snarled and her hands clenched at her sides.

I spread my arms out wide. "If you have a problem with them, _take it up with me_!" I growled. My blood was starting to boil and I was suddenly _praying _that Bertha lost her temper and threw a punch at me.

Bertha narrowed her rat-like eyes at me and I didn't move an inch. My own eyes bore into hers and she flinched first. "I said," Bertha said as she made to shove me out of the way again, "get lost!" I gripped her arm and with one sweep of my legs, I kicked her legs out from under her, and I had her on the ground, wide-eyed.

"And I said, 'If you have a problem with my friends, to take it up with me!'." I tilted my head at Bertha and she was starting to turn redder than red.

I stood up and wiped my pants off. Grabbing my notes and tray of barely touched food, I went to the library for the rest of the lunch period.

I buried myself in a few books that focused on the Italian Renaissance and some old texts about Syria. I mostly read non-fiction material, but on the off chance that my brain couldn't take any more information, I settled for fantasy and supernatural books—and also a few sci-fi books as well.

"Emma?" the Head Librarian, Mrs. Spraitz, asked as she walked over with a small tray of food. "What're you doing up here? Don't you know it's lunch time?"

I book marked the page I was reading. "Mhm," I brushed some hair behind my face. "I'm sorry Mrs. Spraitz but I just needed some time to be by myself. I promise I won't be a problem."

Mrs. Spraitz smiled and returned to her desk and ate her lunch. After I had read the chapter on Pope Alexander VI, I closed the book, returned it to the shelf, and sat at the table, rested my hand against my cheek and sighed.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment. _Who did my father mean when he said "find her"? _I opened my eyes and looked around. The Library was mostly empty, aside from Mrs. Spraitz and myself.

Looking at the clock, I still had about twenty minutes to kill, so I settled for researching random things on the internet.

"_Local High School Track Star Wins by a Flip!" _the headline read, after I clicked on, _In Local News…_

Frowning, I narrowed my eyes as I recalled that runner from a couple of days ago. Typing furiously on my laptop, I found the Queens High School Homepage and looked at the Sports tab. Clicking on the link, I found several newspaper articles online, all describing the runner's amazing feats.

I scrolled down and found out that this runner was in her junior year, and seemed to have garnered the attention of all the University's around the area. But the thing that got me was, the runner never did an interview or anything like that. No name, no age—but I had to guess that she had to be sixteen or seventeen… Scratch that, I found a tab that had an article and I found the age. This runner was only seventeen.

I continued searching vehemently.

I found a tab that was a video link and when I clicked it, I nearly fell out of my chair and Mrs. Spraitz gave me a curious look. Quickly, I turned the volume down and grabbed the ear buds from my iPhone 4, plugged them into the earphone slot on the laptop and I played the video again.

"_She's gonna kill this heat!"_ a low voice stated as he held the camera. _"And I'm getting this all on camera!"_

Whoever was taking the video did a really crappy job at it. He didn't have a steady hand, and he obviously didn't know how to work the 'zoom' feature.

"_Yeah, but even the best have their bad days…" _another low voice stated. _"Do you think she's on 'roid's or something?"_

_That 'or something' is a better fit than the 'roids…_ I thought to the cameraman and his friend.

I watched as the runners took off and the runner in Lane Three—the runner that I wanted to meet—finished first by a landslide. She didn't look flustered, or sweaty for that matter. She looked perfectly content with what she just did.

Suddenly the camera blacked out and it came back on as the person filming came up to the runner. I paused the screen and took a closer look. This was definitely her. But something in the back of my mind was telling me that I knew her from somewhere. I shook my head. _Probably just another face that you came across a while back…_ I assured myself and closed my computer down and removed the ear buds from my ears.

"Were you looking up that runner?" Mrs. Spraitz asked as I was leaving.

"How'd you know?"

She laughed. "Please Emma, after that runner beat Beatrice, almost everyone in the school was looking up the runner. Apparently she's one of their star athletes."

I frowned as I shifted my laptop case over my shoulder. "Yeah, I figured that." I saw the clock behind Mrs. Spraitz's head, the bell was going to ring in a few minutes.

Mrs. Spraitz smiled as she shook her head. "Have a good day Emma."

I nodded once. "Have a good day Mrs. Spraitz." I left the Library as soon as the bell rang and I went to my last two classes of the day.

I pulled my backpack over my shoulders as I mounted my bike and revved the engine. My hand was cramping with the insane amount of notes that I had taken in seventh and in eighth period.

"Em!" Casey hollered and I turned to see her running over. "Hold on!"

I flipped the visor up and Casey came to a stop. "What up Case?" I asked.

Casey took a few deep breathes. "I just…wanted to know…when…the wake is."

"Oh," I said as I bit my lip. "I'm not sure. Heather is working out the details with the Priest today. I can let you know when I know what's going on—." I was cut off when I saw Erik walking over.

"Hey Em, up for a little race?" he grinned as Casey turned red and looked down. I raised an eyebrow but looked at my half-brother.

"Sure, are you sure that old dinosaur is up for the high speeds?" I taunted as Erik mounted his black and green 2010 Kawasaki Z1000.

Erik jammed the helmet on his head. "Hells yes I can take you…"

Casey looked at me. "You are _insane_; don't you care at all about your safety…or the _law_ for that matter?"

"Not really," I replied casually. "I'll call or text you with the details later okay?"

"Yeah sure, call me when you get home so that I know you aren't dead." I smiled crookedly and Casey walked to her own car.

Erik revved his engine and I lowered my visor. "Loser has to cook and do dishes tonight!" I said as I pealed out of the parking lot—cutting off a few students and I glanced as a few of them gave me the finger.

"_Fuck no, I did dishes last night, and I cook anyway! Since you have cooking skills of a dog!"_ Erik replied through his Bluetooth.

Grinning, I pushed my bike to go faster and Erik and I sped through traffic as if it wasn't there. We hit the pavement that would lead us to our home and I stopped.

Erik stopped as well and we both looked down the road. Flipping my visor up, I looked at Erik. "Let's turn this into a drag race hm?" I stated. Erik nodded and revved his bike. I lowered my visor. "One…two…_three_!" I shouted as my rear tire squealed and I ended up doing a wheelie as I took off.

Erik was a little bit behind me, but if I turned my head, I could see him easily. I stayed in the opposite lane (no one really drove down here) and Erik stayed in his.

My engine stalled just as I hit the gravel (I was trying to slow the bike down) and I went flying off of the bike and into the gravel driveway. "Shit!" I groaned as I rolled to a stop and sat up slowly, shaking my head. "That's gonna leave a mark…" I felt a stupid smile splay across my face. I removed the helmet and rotated my neck a few times.

Erik quickly walked over and inspected my neck and head. "Christ Em, are you fucking mental?" he crouched down in front of me and checked my head and neck for any signs of trauma.

"Back off Erik, I'm fine! It was _fun_!" I laughed as I stood up and brushed my shoulder off. "You should try it some time!"

Erik groaned as he helped me up and ruffled my hair playfully. "You aren't indestructible Emmy," he grinned as I glowered at the use of my _other _nickname that my friend, Lilly, gave me back at Camp. "You can't heal from a broken neck."

I rolled my eyes and picked up my scratched up bike and saw that a side mirror was shattered in the accident. "Yeah, I know. But hey, you only live once."

Erik laughed as he and I walked into the barn that held our bikes and he started rummaging through his spare parts drawer. "You're lucky I can fix that. But the paint job is gonna take a while…"

I sighed as I crossed my arms. "I'm not too worried about the paint job." Erik walked with me back into the house and Heather grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt. "What the hell?!" I shouted as she dragged me up into my room.

She literally _threw_ me onto my bed and I sat up, glowering at her. "When I said I wanted to 'start over', I didn't mean by _dragging me up to my room by the scruff of my shirt!_" I screamed.

"Someone's in trouble…" Derek chimed from his room. Heather closed the door and crossed her arms.

"Are you _trying _to kill yourself?" I took a step back from the venom in her voice. "Because I saw that little stunt you pulled out there."

"Harmless fun," I stated.

Erik poked his head in. "Harm-_ful_ is more like it." He grinned and closed the door as I threw a stray throwing knife at him. "Before I forget, what are we having tonight? Since I lost the race, I'm cooking and doing dishes again," Erik asked as he opened the door again.

"Whatever," I replied and Erik left.

Heather removed the weapon and placed in on my desk. "I wanted to chew you out for _that_ and I also needed to talk to you."

I relaxed and sat on the bed. "What about?"

"The Priest said that everything is set for the wake tomorrow. I've already called you and Erik in sick for the occasion." Heather walked to the chest that rested at the foot of my bed and removed a white box. I looked closely at it and in the upper corner; it had a tiny Assassin symbol. "You're old enough to know the traditions of a funeral…" Heather stated as she handed me the box and I opened it to reveal a silk sash. It had a small amount of gold trim along the edges.

I stared at my aunt and frowned. "Why?"

"Tradition Emma. You aren't a little girl anymore." I rolled my eyes and placed the sash back in the box.

"I get it. So when's the ceremony?" I asked casually. Heather crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's at noon. The actual Assassin ceremony will happen at noon, and the regular, non-Assassin wake will happen in the morning." I nodded as I pulled out my iPhone and started texting Casey the details.

"Is Jackass gonna be there?" I looked up at Heather, who was laughing.

"Of course William is Emma, he's the Mentor."

I grumbled under my breath and plopped down on my bed. I reached over my head and my hands gripped the shades that I "borrowed" from Number Four all those years ago and twirled them in my hand. "So I _have_ to behave…" I frowned as I looked at my aunt and she sat on the edge of my bed. "I can't show any grief?"

Heather frowned and patted my leg. "I'm sure you can Emma, this is your father after all."

I tossed the shades up in the air a few times before I placed them over my eyes. A headache passed through my head and I winced slightly. "William has this _insane_ idea that _all_ Assassin Masters—regardless of their status of being of age or not—have to be stone cold, and lethal."

Heather took the shades off and placed them back on top of the headrest-slash-bookshelf. "William will understand. Just don't lunge at him."

"I'll remind myself of that." I started playing with the decade-old hairband that I always had around my right wrist—again, like with the shades, I had hoped to return this to Number Four.

Heather patted my leg and I was left alone in my room to finish my homework and study some notes. A little while later, I tossed my pencil on top of my Calculus book and walked over to my closet. Pushing aside my shirts and jackets, I revealed another Assassin symbol and pressed it.

The wall flipped and it revealed a knee-length beige strapless dress. I touched the material and my fingers started trailing along the smooth, lustrous material. I'd wear this, and the red sash. Looking down, I gulped as I eyed the four-and-a-half inch white stilettos that I would have to wear at the ceremony. I could walk in them fine; I just hated wearing them to begin with. Groaning, I removed my socks and grabbed the shoes that would be the death of me if a Templar didn't get to me first. I walked back to my bed and slid the shoes on and walked out of my room.

Derek poked his head out of his room and nearly fell over laughing as he looked down and saw the shoes. "Why're you doing that to yourself?" he asked as he recovered from his laughing.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "It's been a few years since I wore them." Derek had a remark but he swallowed it rather quickly. "Smart man."

"Emma?" Heather called as she looked up the stairs and saw me. "Do you mind if I do your make-up right now?"

"It's not even time for the ceremony!" I whined. My mind was racing with ways to get out of this situation, but I found no way out. "Fine," I replied as Heather walked upstairs and I quickly took the shoes off and tossed them in my room.

Heather guided me to her bedroom and sat me down in front of the mirror. "I know how much you hate make-up—."

"If I hated it, I wouldn't be wearing any right now, now would I?" I cut her off as I looked at her. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to look like a freakin' slut!"

"Too late!" Derek hollered from his room and I vowed to get him back for that cheeky remark.

Heather laughed as she pulled my hair back and began working on my face. "Sit still Em," she scolded and I made a show of becoming as still as a statue.

As Heather brushed the foundation over my skin, I had one thought the entire time.

_Could I say goodbye to my father…to my friends?_


	9. Letting Go

**CHAPTER NINE:**

**Letting Go**

Waking up, I showered first, and then dressed in a pair of sweats and a tattered t-shirt. I would dress up more when I arrived at the Chapel. It sucked, having to sit through _two_ funerals. But this was what I signed up for when I turned seven.

Shuffling to the bathroom, I made the shower quick and changed into a clean pair of sweats and a dark purple long-sleeved t-shirt. Walking back to my room, I grabbed the dress, the shoes, and the box that held the red sash. Heather had the non Assassin dress all set for me at the funeral home.

After chugging down a glass of orange juice, I grabbed my car keys and hit the button. The lights on the dark red 2008 Mercedes Benz CL65 AMG lit up as I hit the unlock button a few times. Gently placing the items in the back seat, I slid into the driver's seat and backed out of the driveway. Heather was long gone by now, getting the non Assassin funeral prepared and Derek and Erik were hopeless causes when it came time to wake up. My head still aches when I think about my attempts at waking Derek up about a month ago. Who knew a fully grown man could make a soft pillow feel like a brick when he threw it at your face?

I took my sweet time getting to the funeral home and I used that time to reflect on what's in store for me. It was still two weeks before my birthday, two weeks until I had to come up with the lame excuse of having to be homeschooled. Derek never had to deal with that, he was still allowed to attend school after his initiation into the Order, but I guess William wanted to mix things up a bit.

I pulled into the parking lot about ten minutes later and grabbed the dress, shoes, and box. Jogging inside, I walked towards the back and Heather poked her head out from one of the spare rooms. "Good, you're on time!" she grinned. "Can't say the same for your brother and my son huh?"

I laughed. "Trust me, if I could wake them up, I would."

Heather laughed. "Just as long as they are here for the funeral, I see no problem letting the boys sleep in."

I grinned as I dangled two sets of car keys. "But _I_ wanted to get some revenge for that prank they pulled on me the other day…"

"You _stole_ their car keys?!" Heather's eyes were wide.

"I hid my bike keys from them."

Heather laughed and handed me the ebony black dress that stopped mid-calf. After I had put it on, Heather guided me to the make-up area and I applied the make-up—I'm a tomboy yes, but that doesn't mean I don't want to actually _look_ like a guy!

"Perfect," Heather smiled as she stood behind me and placed her hands on my shoulder (lightly touching my left shoulder). "You look like your mother."

I smiled as I set the mascara down and looked back at myself. "Well, you would know, now wouldn't you?" I quipped with a light tone.

Heather gently cupped my cheek and kissed it. "I'm going to see if the boys are here, I think some of the guests are already here."

I nodded. Understanding that Heather still needed some time to get ready and she also needed to make sure that her son and my brother arrived on time. I slipped the black version of my heels on and walked down the hall and into the large room. The casket was closed and it would be open when the funeral began.

"Emma!" Casey cried and I looked over to see her and Tanner waving at me from the other entrance. Smiling, I walked over and gave my two best friends hugs. "I'm so sorry Em," Casey sighed as she pulled back.

I nodded and looked at Tanner—who was a deep red for some reason. "I-I'm sorry Emma," he stammered as he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at the floor. He was in a nice tux jacket with a simple black tie and nice dress pants and dress shoes.

Casey was in a shorter version of my black dress and her heels were about two inches shorter than mine. She looked better in black than I did, that's for sure.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it, I hope you aren't missing anything important," I smiled as Casey flipped her hair.

"Only Trig and Geography."

Tanner chuckled as he looked at Casey. "I'm just using my two free periods to be here," he replied in a gentle, polite voice. "I'm sorry Em."

I looked at the ground then at my friends. "Thank you for coming, it means a lot to me and my family."

"Well, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go talk with some people over there that look interesting…" Casey trailed off as she eyed a few guys in the back corner and I nodded at them as they waved at me.

"Go, I can keep Tanner out of trouble." Tanner frowned playfully and I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks Em!" Casey hugged me again and made her way over to the boys.

When she was out of ear shot, Tanner cleared his throat and I looked at him. "You look beautiful Em," he mumbled.

I laughed nervously. "Thanks Tanner." I looked at him. "You look really nice too."

Tanner blushed and ran a hand through his hair. "D-Do you mind i-if we take a seat out in the hall for a minute?"

I shrugged. "Sure, it's getting kinda stuffy in here anyways." I walked out into the hall with Tanner and we took a seat on a leather bench. I had to force myself to cross my legs and not sit like I would if I was trying to blend in—in other words, I had to remind myself not to sit like a guy.

"So…how're you holding up?" Tanner asked.

"Fine, just fine."

"That's good. I wanted to ask you something and I don't know if I should do it here or not…"

I patted Tanner's arm gently. "Just tell me, I'm sure it's nothing."

Tanner turned fully and looked at me. "I w-was wonder if you w-would like to g-go on a c-coffee date with m-me?" he asked with a small voice. I thought I heard it hitch once or twice.

I hadn't been on a date since Jake and to be honest, I wasn't planning on dating for a _long _time. But Tanner was just a friend. That's how I saw him. "Um…" I rubbed the back of my neck as I looked at the ground. "Now's not exactly a good time Tanner, I just lost my dad…" I trailed off as I looked back up at him.

"I knew that it wasn't gonna be a good time!" he groaned as he rested his face in his hands. "I feel like a dick."

I gently tugged his hand and he looked at me. "Don't feel like that," I assured him. "But I'm not really looking for a date or anything right now. I just want to be with my family."

Tanner took a deep breath and wrung his hands together. "I'm sorry Emma; I must sound like a jerk now. I honestly didn't mean to sound like a douchebag…"

I laughed. "No, you don't. Think about what's going on with Casey in the other room."

Tanner laughed and shook his head. "We should probably get back to her before the funeral starts."

"Agreed," I said as I stood up and Tanner followed my lead. "Still friends?" I asked.

"Yeah." He wrapped his arms around me and for some reason; it felt _too_ intimate for my tastes—I mean, I've hugged Tanner thousands of times before, but this one feels _different_.

"There you two are!" she shook her head. "No matter, Em," Casey said as she looked at me, "you're brothers are looking for you."

I grinned. "Oops…" I stated innocently and Casey caught on fast.

"You stole their car keys again didn't you?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. It's not like they can do anything here, it's a _funeral_."

Casey rolled her eyes and a few minutes later the funeral began.

_One down…one to go…_I thought glumly.

It was a traditional funeral, people came up to the podium and talked, Derek said a few words, and then it was my turn.

I brushed some hair from my face and looked down at the poem I found the other day. "Um…I would like to read a poem." I wiped my eyes as tears began to fall. I looked at my father again and I swallowed the lump in my throat. "It's called…" I had to clear my throat, "…it's called _Letter from Heaven, _by Ruth Ann Mahaffey."

I took a deep breath and looked at the faces of my aunt, brother, half-brother…I looked at the faces of my best friends. They looked at me with nothing but sympathy and respect. They'd never seen me break down like this before. _Never_. "S-So," I began shakily, "I will begin reading…"

"_Letter from Heaven_

_To my dearest family some things I'd like to say  
>But first of all to let you know that I arrived today,<em>

_I'm writing this from Heaven. Here I shall dwell with God above  
>Here, there's no more tears of sadness. Here is just eternal love.<em>

_Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight  
>Remember that I am with you every morning, noon and night.<em>

_That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through  
>God picked me up and hugged me and He said "I welcome you,<em>

_It's good to have you back again,  
>you were missed while you were gone,<br>As for your dearest family, they'll be here later on.  
>I need you here badly, you are part of my plan<br>There's so much that we have to do to help our mortal man."_

_God gave me a fist of things that he wished for me to do  
>And foremost on the list was to watch and care for you<em>

I looked up and I saw the familiar gray hair and gray beard and dark eyes staring up at me. I swallowed and tried to compose myself, but he shook his head in disagreement. Even though he was an ass most of the time, he did seem to understand that this was a hard time for my family and myself. Not to mention, William and my father were really close friends. After Desmond had gone missing, my father had spent countless hours trying to find the guy, but obviously, never succeeded in doing it.

_And when you lie in bed at night, the days chores put to flight  
>God and I are closest to you… in the middle of the night.<em>

_When you think of my life on earth and all those loving years  
>Because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears<br>But do not be afraid to cry, it does relieve the pain  
>Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.<em>

My voice cracked and I looked up to see Heather placing a hand over mouth as tears fell from her eyes. Derek discreetly wiped the tears away with his thumb and index finger. Erik's eyes looked bloodshot. I cleared my throat and continued reading.

_One wish that I could tell you all that God has planned  
>If I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand<br>But one thing is for certain though my life on earth is o'er  
>I'm closer to you now than I ever was before."<em>

I nearly keeled over when I saw William discreetly wipe his eyes and I looked back down at the paper in front of me.

_There are many rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb  
>But together we can do it by taking one day at a time.<br>When you're walking down the street and you've got me on your mind  
>I'm walking in your footsteps, only half a step behind<em>

I pictured him standing next to me, his hand on my shoulder, while his other hand held my mom's hand. Fresh tears spilled over and I took a breath. I continued reading.

_And when it's time for you to go... from that body to be free  
>Remember you're not going…you're just coming here to me."<em>

I wiped my eyes again and I folded the paper up and looked up at the audience. I didn't like public speaking, but this was a time I was willing to make an exception. The crowd clapped softly as I walked back to my seat and Heather wrapped me in a tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered.

I hugged her back and I felt someone place a hand on my shoulder. Casey nodded at me and Tanner gently squeezed my right shoulder.

"I'd like to say a few words, if I may?" William said as he walked to the podium and I stared at him. He cleared his throat. "Stephan Hale was one of my closest friends, he was a remarkable man, strong, determined…loyal. Traits that are most noble in a man such as him. But we mustn't forget about the ones he left behind." William looked at me then Derek. "Emma, Derek, your father was a man that knew what humility was. I could never become half the man that he was.

"He was everything that I wanted to be. He was a natural leader, a great friend, and above all…" William looked directly at me. "He was an amazing father. Stephan Hale will be missed dearly, and my deepest condolences to the Hale family." I looked at the ground. "Thank you." William left the podium and sat back down in the back of the room.

The priest finished the ceremony and after the ceremony was done, everyone was slowly shuffling out of the funeral home.

Casey and Tanner hugged me good-bye. "We'll see you at school on Monday?" Tanner asked.

"Definitely," I replied.

"That was a beautiful poem Emma," Casey grinned and I noticed that her eyes were a little bit puffy. I hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for coming, it really means a lot to me."

Eventually, everyone was gone and then, Assassin mode kicked in. I took my shoes off and swiftly walked to the changing room and changed into my white dress and draped the sash over my left shoulder and around my waist. I fumbled with my sweatpants as I looked for my necklace and when I found it, I latched it around my neck. I just finished putting my non Assassin funeral dress in the box and Heather walked in, decked out in a similar dress, but the dress stopped at her mid-calf, she had a white version of my black dress. The sash was neatly draped around her waist then around her neck.

"Ready?" she asked.

I wiped my eyes and reapplied some make-up. "Yeah, now I'm ready."

Heather nodded and I hopped into my car and followed the Hearse to the chapel. Heather was behind me, and Derek and Erik were behind Heather, riding their bikes.

About fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the chapel and I parked in the spot closest to the double wooden doors. Getting out, I smoothed my dress out and waited for the rest of my family to catch up. When they were caught up, Derek slid his arm through mine and he guided me up the stairs.

A few Assassins were greeting us, most of them were already in the chapel. "Emmy!" a familiar voice called and I turned to see Lilly Tranes walking over to me.

"Lilly!" I grinned weakly as she hugged me. I looked at my old Training Camp buddy. She had cut her hair short and it reminded me of a bob cut, her green eyes seemed dulled, void of any emotion, then reality sunk in. This was the actual good-bye. The funeral before this was just the dress rehearsal. This was the real deal now. "Thank you so much for coming…"

"My mom and dad had to come; your dad was a great man." It should've been comforting to hear those words, but my mind was too scattered to really appreciate them. "Well, I better go sit down, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," I nodded and Derek patted my shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked as two Assassins opened the doors for us and held them open as Heather and Erik walked in. They walked ahead of us. It was customary that the immediate family goes last and seeing as how Derek and I were the kids, we had to go last.

"Yeah, I'm ready." My voice was already hoarse from crying at the first funeral. Heather walked forward with Erik and after exactly five seconds, Derek and I started walking forward.

I gripped my brother's arm tightly as he started walking forward down the aisle, five paces behind Heather and Erik. I kept my gaze on the ground, praying that I didn't trip and make a complete fool of myself. "Easy Emma," Derek murmured too low for anyone to hear.

I looked up from the floor and nearly broke down when I saw the coffin at the altar. It was simple, a wooden coffin, and the Assassin symbol in fine silver, engraved into the wood. Two banners draped over the sides of the coffin elegantly. As I walked, I felt as though someone was staring at me—okay, so _everyone_ was staring at me, but this gaze felt different. Looking around, I instantly found the person—or boy.

He had messy chestnut brown hair and amber brown eyes that seemed to stare beyond what you wanted to show. He smiled as Derek and I walked past and I tore my gaze from his—my heart for some reason _cringed_ when I did that. Derek and I bowed before the Mentor, we took our seats, and I frowned as I heard someone talking.

Turning my head at the source of the noise, I found the boy that had smiled at me looking at me and I raised an eyebrow asking a silent question: _Why the hell are you staring at me?_ As if I had upped and walked over to him and asked him the question, the boy looked down and the man next to him whispered something into his ear—to which the boy responded with a whisper that I didn't pick up.

"Do you at least know her name?" the boy that had looked at me asked rather loudly and I frowned as I looked back at him and (sadly) he didn't notice. _Wait, why the hell do you care Emma? You aren't looking for a guy right now, not after what happened with Jake! _I rolled my eyes. First Tanner and now this stranger!

The beginning was long, and bearable. But I started losing control over my emotions when a woman with dark brown hair and light brown eyes walked up and started the speeches. I kept my eyes on the woman, afraid to look at the coffin.

"Emma?" Derek said as he held a hand out to help me up from my seat and I took his hand.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I stood up and smoothed the front of my dress out.

Derek smiled weakly as he and I walked up to the altar (again I felt someone staring at me and I was surprised to see the boy from before looking directly at me) and knelt before the coffin. Lowering our heads, Derek and I said a prayer that we had picked out for this occasion. In fact, it was another poem that Derek had found last night before he went to bed.

"_My Dad, My Angel, _By Jamie Cirello,

_Your battle is now over, no more tears flowing down your cheek,  
>no more pain, no more suffering, now you are no longer weak.<em>

_I still do not understand why this had to happen to you,  
>but I am proud to say you are my dad, the greatest man I ever knew.<em>

_Although you will not be here to walk me down the aisle,  
>when that day comes I know you will be by my side with a smile."<em>

I wiped my eyes as I finished the first half of the poem and Derek finished.

"_You were always there for me and never once made me cry,  
>until the day you closed your eyes and had to say goodbye.<em>

_Now you are my Angel, so spread your wings out wide,  
>please wrap them around me whenever you see me cry.<em>

_Our time together was memorable and God took you way too fast,  
>But the most precious thing to me was you being there for my first breath,<br>and me being there for your last."_

As Derek finished, we both turned to face the coffin and we held each other's hands. "Rest in peace," we both said at the same time.

"Rest in peace," the audience quietly murmured.

No one really said anything and everyone left the chapel quickly. I didn't really see what happened after that, seeing as how everything around me was in a blurry haze of tears and I knew that my dad was buried with my mom in the Holy Angel Cemetery. Again, I don't recall much of the drive home, but when I stumble through the door, I walk up to my father's office and find four letters, addressed to each member of the family.

I opened the letter addressed to me and placed a hand over my mouth.

_To my dearest daughter, _

_I'm sorry that our time together ended so abruptly, I know that it is foolish to leave this world with so many regrets and wishes, but as a man who has seen and lived through much, I cannot help but feel the regret of not seeing my son and daughter grow old and have a family of their own, of handing my daughter off to get married to a man that would make her life and world a better place._

_Emma, you've been so strong, so determined to be the greatest. You don't have to go looking for the recognition that you want so badly. What you do, and who you are already is enough to earn that recognition. When your mother gave birth to you, I knew you were destined for greatness, destined to change the world, however small of a part you would play._

_We come from a long line of Assassins, Emma, but we are far from being "pure blooded" as the other's put it. But if you look at the past, you will miss your future and the present. Do not let other's discourage you from obtaining your goal. Perhaps one day, you will be what I was to the Order, someone to come to with problems, someone that other's can trust._

_I want you to find her Emma, find her and tell her everything, who you are, who I was, what we are as a family. She needs to know that you and Derek are alive. She needs to know what she is._

_I know that the last few weeks haven't been easy on you, with your birthday around the corner, and your friends…you're torn inside. Emma, I want you to have fun in your life, I know you can find the balance between your Assassin half and your normal 'Emma' half. I don't want you to dwell on my passing, for there will be a time when your mother and I welcome you home with open arms. You don't have to go through this alone, you have Casey, Tanner, Derek, Erik, and Heather, people that care for you Emma. I'm asking you one final favor._

_Let go._

_Love, _

_Dad._

_P.S. I only hope you continue on a path that you have chosen for yourself._

I walked out of the office and into my room. Suddenly, the paper fell from my hand I fell onto my bed, curling in on myself as fresh tears spilled over my eyes.

I just wanted to die right there…


	10. Finding the Balance

**CHAPTER TEN:**

**Finding the Balance**

Groaning, I opened my eyes to thunder rolling outside of my window. _Perfect, just freakin' perfect!_ I thought to the sky. _Well, at least it's Saturday…_ I rested my head against my pillows and rubbed my forehead. _Okay, yesterday was the funeral and the burial of my father… Time for a new day, and a new life to begin._ I had planned to go out and check on Aquila, she hated storms and the thunder likely made her jumpy—that's if Erik forgot to put on the blinders on her…_again_. Suddenly, I realized that I was _under_ the covers, rather than _on top _of them. Looking over the edge of my bed, I saw my shoes and dress on the ground in a heap.

Running my hands under my eyes, I pulled my hand back and frowned. _No mascara?_ I was _really _confused now.

"Emma?" Derek said as he knocked on my door gently. "Can I come in?"

I was about to answer when I felt the smooth surface of my sheets against my chest and stomach. I looking down as I lifted the sheets from my body, my eyes widened as I realized that whoever had come in last night to tuck me in _might_ have undressed me (I hoped to God that it was either Heather or myself, seeing as how I used to undress myself while sleeping). "Uh…" I stammered as I looked over the sides of my bed for any random shirt and shorts. "Can you give me a moment?" I tried to keep the covers over the front of my body as I searched for my clothes.

This time, Derek knocked again, but the voice was too high. "Em? It's Casey," I heard the door knob turn and my eyes widened as I upped the pace in search for my clothes. "We need to talk—_holy shit!_" Casey hollered at the same time I screamed and pulled the sheets up to past my nose. Casey had placed her hand over her eyes.

I heard a _thud_ as I presumed Derek had collapsed on the floor, laughing as his sister's best friend almost was flashed by his little sister. _He's gonna pay for that…_ I swore mentally.

"_Do you mind_?!" I seethed at her as my eyes were the only thing visible. "Give me a minute!"

Casey walked to the corner of the room and had her back to me. "Sorry Em, but I _really_ need to talk to you…" Casey apologized and I _finally_ found my clothes against my closet door. My face must've been red. _It felt red_! I crossed my arms over my chest as I walked back to my bed and pulled the ruffled sheets back in place (after I had put my clothes back on).

"When I say, 'give me a minute' I actually mean, _give me a minute!_" I growled and Casey turned around, her face redder than probably mine. We were close friends—but not _that_ close! "Now, what's so important that you have to _walk in _on me?!"

Casey wiped her eyes and I was instantly on edge. "It's Tanner."

_Tanner?_ "What about him?" I asked.

Casey sat on the edge of my bed. "We were walking home from a movie last night and passed this alley when these two men came out and tried to mug us. I got away, but Tanner…he…" Casey trailed off as she started crying again. I walked over and shoved my books apart but stopped as sense came back to me. "Emma?" Casey asked.

I stood up and pinched the bridge of my nose and I groaned silently as a headache appeared then disappeared. "Casey, listen to me. I have a friend who _might_ be able to help you. Meet them at this location." I wrote down an old rendezvous point I used to use when I was younger.

Casey took the note. "Are you sure that your friend will be able to help?"

"I trust her."

Casey nodded. "When do I meet her?"

I frowned. "She'll contact you."

Casey hugged me and left. Derek saw the note in her hand and then looked at me as I dressed quickly. "Where's the fire?"

I pulled a pair of jeans on. "Tanner is hurt or dead. I need to help." I grunted as I pulled a pair of jeans on, over my shorts. "Tell Erik to check Aquila and Spirit, you know how much they hate storms."

Derek leaned against my door-frame and nodded at my second request. "You're willing to risk your neck to save Tanner?"

I secured my dagger sheathe to my left thigh. "I'm an Assassin, but I'm also his friend," I grunted as I pulled my knife belt around my waist. I push past Derek as I threw my hood up over my face and I grabbed my mask.

Jumping the flight of stairs, I rolled to my feet and grabbed my bike keys.

I hit the highway at breakneck speeds and ten minutes later, I'm at the meeting place. I dial Casey's number and wait for her to answer.

"_Hello?" _Casey answers.

I frown and I try to find a way to talk without giving myself away.

"Salve (hello)."

"_Is this Emma's friend?" _

I cleared my throat. "Sì (yes)," I replied. "I'm at the meeting place." Casey hung up and I did the same. I leaned against the side of a building to make myself look casual and I just looked around the area. Ten more minutes pass before Casey walked up to me (I pulled the mask up over my nose and mouth)

"Thank you for helping," she breathed.

I nodded. "Where did you last see your amico (friend)?" I asked, my voice thick with an Italian accent.

Casey rubbed her arms a few times as thunder rolled over head. "I'll have to drive to the spot. Care for a ride?" she asked innocently. "It looks like it's gonna rain soon."

I put a hand up. "Non grazie (no thanks). I'll get there my own way."

Casey walked to her car and I followed. She turned to face me as she rested her arms on the top of the driver's side door. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Sì (yes)."

"Well, Emma said that you are her are good friends. Where'd you two meet?" Casey asked as she slid into the driver's seat of her car.

"We met at accampamento (camp) when we were little."

Casey nodded and she gave me the general area. After I assured her that I knew where she was going, I took off along the roofs (a light drizzle starting to come down). As I jumped over a gap between buildings, a small headache pounded through my skull and I blinked. However, when I opened my eyes again, the world was in a faint blue haze.

"What the hell?" I growled as the world faded back into its regular colors.

Shaking my head I watched as Casey pulled to a stop in front of an alley and I looked down. Three men with knives were surrounded a heap that was sitting near the dumpster. Their attention turned to Casey as she slammed the car door shut and I groaned. She should've stayed in the car.

"C'mon bro," the shorter thug said as he nudge his friends arm. "She's back."

The thug that the first guy talked to shook his friend off. "She's probably here to get her friend back."

"She probably has the police with her!"

The second man chortled. "Unlikely. She probably just wants her friend back, like Dale said."

Casey took a step forward and I took a step back. I sense her staring up at me and I jump forward, landing in a crouch. The thugs didn't even realize that I had joined this little party. Casey suddenly looked smug and the thugs were murmuring as to why their 'escaped victim' looked so smug.

"Hey idioti (idiots)!" I grinned. The men turned around and started laughing.

"You think speaking Italian will scare us? Please!" the third thug chortled as the first and second thug converged on me.

Frowning under the mask, the men came at me with their firsts. I easily deflected each punch, and with the quick, well-practiced moves I've learned over the years, I changed my stance so that I was ready for a counter-attack. The second thug tries to kick my legs out from under me, but I jump and land a solid blow to his ribcage. He stumbles back, clutching his chest.

"Be glad that I didn't nail you in the famiglia gioie (family jewels)!" I smiled.

I ducked as the third guard swung a punch at my head and I gripped his arm and slammed him against the wall. I winced as I heard his head hit the wall and I had a feeling he'd just received a concussion from it. "Find your amico (friend)!" I shouted to Casey as the first thug brandished his knife and held it in front of him defensively. I grabbed my own dagger and held it out in front of me. "Best to even the odds, no?" I taunted. The thug grunted as he ran at me and I side-stepped him, slicing my dagger down the length of his back. The guy howled in agony and I jumped back as he brought his unarmed fist around and I barely deflected it.

The thug turned around and I grinned as he ran at me. I ran at him and where we should have met head on, I used the dumpster and leapt into the air. Grabbing the hilt of one of my throwing knives, I chucked it at the mans back and he fell to the ground. I rolled to my feet and walked back over to the fatally wounded thug and he looked at me with wild eyes.

"Wh-Who are you?" he asked and grunted as I removed my knife from his back.

I frowned as I pulled the mask down. "You're savior." The man went slack and I closed his eyes. "Rest in peace."

I felt someone approaching me and I saw Casey with Tanner (who looked deathly pale). "I found him," Casey panted as I replaced the mask over my nose and mouth. "I'm gonna take him to the hospital, thank you again for helping—oh my god!" she screeched as she saw the dead thug then the other two who were moaning on the ground.

I put a hand up to stop her from coming any closer. "I'll take care of this. Get your friend to the hospital." Casey nodded and when she was gone, I hid the one casualty in a dumpster, while I hid the other two comatose thugs behind the same dumpster.

"Rest in peace…assholes."

It started raining on the way home, so by the time I was in the house, I was chilled to the bone and shaking slightly. Heather looked at me with "the look" and I shook my head as I made my way up to my room. Tossing my blades and jacket on the bed, I grabbed a pair of dark purple sweatpants, a yellow long-sleeved t-shirt, and headed to the bathroom.

After I was done showering, I walked downstairs and joined Heather (who was watching a random show on the History Channel). "So what're we watching?" I asked as I sat on the couch and crossed my legs.

Heather smirked. "_The Origins of the Knights Templar_."

I rolled my eyes and watched it with Heather. "Assassins," I muttered as they said something about the crusades and how Robert de Sablé's election to the rank of Grandmaster was delayed. They made some mention of the siege of Acre and I crossed my arms. That wasn't the finest hour for the Assassins back then. "Bastards…"

"Bastard…" Heather growled as they mentioned Cesare Borgia and his infamous campaigns that cost him his life in the end. "Least the Assassins ended him."

I shook my head. "This is a more effective torture method than having to hear this crap while in school, isn't there anything else on?" I asked.

"Sadly, no." Heather turned the television off and I rested my head against the back of the couch. "So Derek told me about your little 'side mission'."

I groaned inwardly. "It was nothing. She had no idea that it was me under the hood and mask." I looked at my aunt. "I promise."

Heather laughed as she picked up a magazine. "I'm not worried that you blew your cover. I'm more curious as to if you found Number Four at all in the city."

I rubbed the back of my head as I looked at my aunt. Heather was in her mid-forties, but you couldn't tell with how well she kept in shape. She looked closer to someone who's in their early to mid-thirties at most. "No…" I replied. "I didn't get a chance to look. I've been _everywhere_ in the city and haven't found her _anywhere_." I crossed my arms. "I bet if I knew what she looked like _under_ the hood and shades—don't worry, when I find her, I'm returning them to her." Heather closed her mouth. She knew that I had "borrowed" the shades when I found them nearly eleven years ago.

"I'm not concerned about that."

"Liar," I replied. "But seriously, if my dad had _any_ pictures of her without the hood or shades, I bet I'd find'er quick. I rarely forget a face once I've seen it once or twice."

Heather laughed at the same time my stomach snarled. "Forget to eat breakfast again?" Heather taunted.

I nodded. "Well, I _was_ busy this morning."

Heather laughed and I had a sneaking suspicion that a certain older sibling told her what had happened when Casey walked into my room this morning. "C'mon, I can get something together for you—."

I stood up and followed her into the kitchen. "I'll just make toast or something!" I complained. Heather frowned and I knew that this was one battle I was not going to win anytime soon. "Fine, I'll just go back in the living room and rot my brain with Templar crap," I growled as I stalked to the living room. I loved Heather like an aunt, yes. But I can take care of myself just fine!

I was about to flip the television back on when the house phone rang. Picking it up, I answered. "Hello?"

"_Emma? It's Casey!"_

My eyes widened. "Casey! How're you? Did my friend help?"

"_Yes! She took care of the thugs and I brought Tanner to the hospital. He only has a broken arm believe it or not. But the docs said that he was severely dehydrated."_

"I hope they are giving him fluids and food and all that…"

"_Mhm, they are. He was actually wondering if you were gonna stop by soon."_

I bit my lip. "I'll be there in about a half-hour; I have to eat some breakfast. Aquila was spooked by the storm and Erik forgot to put the blinders on her again."

"_All right, see you in a few."_ Casey hung up and I did the same. After I had eaten my breakfast (which was eggs, bacon, and toast), I walked up to my room and changed into a pair of jeans and I grabbed my dark brown leather jacket. I was going to visit Tanner in the hospital, not infiltrate a Templar base.

"I'm going to see Tanner! Be back later!" I jogged out to my car and I shook my head out as the rain drops flew everywhere, darkening the dark grey upholstery.

_/-\_

Arriving at the hospital in twenty minutes, I walked up to the front desk and asked for Tanner's room. The lady told me the number and (scarily enough) I knew _exactly_ where that room was.

Knocking once, I walked in and Tanner's face lit up as Casey smiled. "Sorry I'm late, traffic was terrible," I replied.

Tanner shrugged. "No worries, would you like to sign my cast?" he asked as he lifted his arm up and Casey tossed me a black permanent marker.

"Sure," I laughed as I signed my name. I set the marker down and leaned against the wall. "So, how long're you stuck here?" I asked.

"Tonight, the doc said that I was doing really well."

I smiled. "That's great! So how long are you stuck with the cast?"

Tanner shrugged. "They said that it was a small fracture, but they want me to wear a cast for two weeks then a bracer for four, just to be safe."

"Six weeks then? Bummer." Casey nodded in agreement with me.

"So…" Casey said awkwardly. "How're you doing Em? I heard that this bone-head." She shot a glare at Tanner. "Tried to ask you out on a coffee date yesterday at your dad's funeral."

Tanner blushed and pulled the cover over his face to hide his embarrassment. "I'm fine Casey, and Tanner was very polite about it, if not a bit nervous." Actually, to me, I felt _really_ weird around Tanner now, now that I knew he actually felt something towards me, when I felt diddly squat towards him.

"I hope he hurled…" Casey growled.

"I did after I went home," Tanner responded. "And you were hitting on almost every guy there!"

"Yeah, but it wasn't any of the _family_! Besides, four of the five gave me their numbers…" Casey gave me a sly wink and I rolled my eyes.

I sat myself on the windowsill and looked at my friends. "I hate this place."

"Agreed!" the two of them announced. "The smell is puke-inducing!" Tanner complained.

I laughed. "Next time, don't try to act all brave!" I shook my head and looked at Casey. "Casey, when did you get here?" I asked.

"I went home after an hour of waiting for Tanner's parents to arrive, and then I went home."

I nodded and Tanner suddenly started telling us this story he found online a while back and towards the middle of the story, everyone was laughing. It felt…_good_.

Huh, maybe this balancing thing is easier than it seems…


	11. Seventh Circle of Hell

**CHAPTER ELEVEN:**

**Seventh Circle of Hell  
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**DATE: OCTOBER 2011**

**LOCATION: NEW YORK**

The week after my father's funeral was dull and quiet, much to my dismay. I really, really, _really_ wanted to stab something—_anything_! Instead, I spent some time with Tanner and Casey in the city, just hanging out and having a good time. Tanner hadn't really spoken to me much since he tried to ask me out. In fact, Casey said that Tanner hadn't been talking to her much as of late either.

Now, it was October, a week before my birthday. I found it rather funny how fast time seemed to have flown by. It seemed as though someone was controlling me with strings right then. I would wake up, train, run patrols, go to school, come home, and prepare for the next day. A simple, repetitive cycle.

I was brushing Aquila's mane when I heard someone pull up into the driveway. I turned my head to see Casey's vehicle come to a stop near the house, and I returned my attention back to my horse. I had multiple scenarios running through my mind when it came time to tell Casey and Tanner that I was going to be home schooled. The problem was that I had no reason to be home schooled.

I hadn't seen Casey much during the week aside from the classes we shared, but even then I was distant, withdrawn from our daily conversations. I was trying—really, I was! I was trying to make the separation easier on her... On both of us. Tanner was a different matter entirely; I didn't even have to _try_ and distance myself from him, because he was doing a pretty damn good job of doing it for me.

"So, what've you been up to, Em?" Casey asked as she walked over, placing her hands on her hips.

I shrugged. "Nothing really. How's Tanner?" I asked.

"He's better. Still not really talking about what's bugging him though." Casey shook her head as she thought about Tanner. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," I replied as I placed the brush in my back jean pocket. "Wanna go for a ride?"

Casey shook her head. "How 'bout a walk?" she suggested.

Nodding, I let Aquila go back to her grazing. Casey and I walked out of the pen and started walking along the trail that surrounded my home. "So," I said as I placed my hands in my pockets, "what's on your mind?"

Casey rubbed the back of her head. "Um… Is everything okay, Em? I mean, you aren't acting like yourself lately…"

"I'm fine—great, actually."

Casey shook her head. "If you were _fine_, you wouldn't be brushing me off at school or just shutting down when we hang out, or you wouldn't be trying to get out of doing something! Are you still grieving over your dad?" Casey crossed her arms. "I mean, I totally understand if this is how you handle your grief and everything."

I shook my head. "N-No, I'm not. I just… I need some space sometimes, you know?" Casey nodded but the hurt in her eyes was blatantly obvious. "I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a jerk, but I just need space and speaking doesn't help with that."

"That I can understand." Casey blushed a little bit. "I had this ridiculous theory that you didn't want to be my friend anymore or something..."

My eyes widened. "Why would you say something like that?!"

Casey jumped. "Well, you _have_ been distant and all that!"

I smiled. "Thanks. Your faith in me is remarkable," I said sarcastically.

Casey gently punched my shoulder and we finished our walk about fifteen minutes later. "Well," she said as she walked back to her car, "I'm gonna go see Tanner. Maybe I can figure out what's bugging him."

"Good luck!" I called out as Casey waved from the window. "Call or text when you figure it out."

"Of course I'll tell you!" Casey laughed. I grinned and watched her head out.

When Casey was gone, I walked into the house. Heather suddenly tossed me a plain, dark blue fleece jacket. "What's going on?" I asked as I caught it and shouldered it, pulling my hair out from under the collar.

Heather gave me an exasperated look. "I'm taking you to Toni's…" She trailed off, and then it hit me.

"Oh… _Oh_!" I exclaimed. "I thought I was supposed to get it a day before the ceremony?" I asked. "There's still a week left!"

Heather shrugged. "If you get it now, the swelling won't be as bad."

Shrugging, I walked to the car. A few minutes later, Heather was driving us towards the city. "It's going to be harder to hide from Casey and Tanner," I stated.

Heather merged with traffic. "It won't be _that _hard. Toni is going to be giving you instructions on how to keep an infection out of it, and I can guarantee that he's going to tell you to keep it covered."

I rolled my eyes. "A Band-Aid? They're gonna ask what happened."

Heather nudged the side of my left arm. "You're an expert in lying, Emma. I'm sure you can do _something_ to keep them from prying."

"Yeah," I scoffed. "I can tell them the truth."

"Emma…" Heather said in her cautionary voice.

I shook my head. "You obviously don't know when I'm using sarcasm."

She laughed. "Actually, I do. Your mother had the same attitude on such things."

I smiled, and the rest of the drive was relatively quick. After we got off the highway, Heather drove through the nicer part of the city, and then into the ghettos. We parked her car in an alley, and I was the first to get out. There was a slight chill in the air, and I realized why Heather gave me the jacket.

"This place is a dump," I growled as I got out of the car and looked around the area. A few women that reminded me of strippers eyed us and sent death glares our way. I returned the glare and they flinched.

Heather laughed as she got out of the car. "Sorry Em, but you know as well as I do that Toni likes to do business where he won't get noticed easily."

Heather and I walked into the shop, and I took the liberty of examining the store. Despite where he was located, Toni kept his shop in top shape; it was so clean that you could probably eat off of the floor. The back door opened to reveal a lean, middle-aged man with curly black hair, blue-grey eyes, and neat stubble forming on his face, walking into the shop. He wiped his hands on the front of his jeans and then straightened out his dark blue long-sleeved t-shirt.

Toni looked up as he spotted Heather and myself. "Oh!" he exclaimed as he walked over and rested behind the glass counter. "Mrs. Reynolds, Miss Hale! I completely forgot that you two were coming!"

Heather laughed gently while I bristled at the formality. "No worries, Toni. Emma's just here for the usual. Do you remember Stephan's instructions?"

My eyes widened. "'Instructions'?" I repeated.

Heather looked at me. We were the same height more or less. "Yes, you're probably familiar with the left forearm tattoo?"

I nodded. "The only tattoo I'll ever get. It's customary for an initiate to get the tattoo on their forearm."

"That's not so, Emma." I looked at Toni, who nodded. "You're father had sent me specific instructions to _not_ place the tattoo on your forearm. He decided that the left ring finger will suffice." Toni removed a small folder and opened it to reveal a piece of paper (protected with plastic) with possible designs for my tattoo. The Egyptian Assassin symbol really sparked my interest, but I wasn't part of the Egyptian Branch. "And keep in mind," Toni said as he cleared his throat., "you'll be the _only_ Assassin to have this tattoo. Everyone else will be getting the tattoo on their forearm—or a different place they'd like to put the tattoo."

My eyes fell onto the American Revolution Assassin symbol and my eyes lit up. "I'd like this one." I tapped the image. "But can you modify it to meet the modern times?" I asked as I looked at Toni.

He smiled as he slipped the design out of the plastic covering. "Of course, what would you have me do?"

I thought for a moment, crossing my arms as I tried to think of something that would make the centuries-old symbol stand out, but still not be too flashy. "I'd like to incorporate the snakes from the Egyptian Branch's symbol, if that's possible?"

"Sure," Toni smiled as he started sketching the idea out. "Anything else?"

I looked closely at the American Revolution symbol. "Perhaps an eagle at the peak of the symbol?" I looked at Toni, who nodded and started sketching the symbol out quickly.

"You ladies can take a seat. I'll be a while." Heather and I sat down in the waiting area and I rested my head against the wall.

Some time later, Toni came and crouched down and showed us the final sketch. My eyes were wide with amazement. The twin snakes that belonged the Egyptian Branch wrapped around the sides of the "A" symmetrically, while at the top, an eagle had its talons hooked into the top of the "A" and its wings spread wide.

"What d'you think?" He grinned.

"Perfect," I muttered.

Heather laughed. "It fits her!" she amended.

Toni smiled and stood up. "All right then, let's get to work!" I stood up and walked with him to the chair. With expert hands, he rested my left hand on the table next to me and applied the stencil to my finger. "Do you have any colors in mind Emma?" Toni asked as he removed the stencil. I looked at what my future tattoo was going to look like.

I shook my head. "Just shading."

"Black and white it is." Toni smiled as he put on the latex gloves and prepped the machine that would draw into my skin. "Now, this is going to hurt a bit."

I nodded. "I've had worse."

I closed my eyes and focused on something more painful than the device that was etching the ink permanently into my skin. "You're doing surprisingly well, Emma," Toni remarked. I was clenching my right hand so hard that my knuckles were turning whiter than white. "Just don't faint."

I scoffed, and Heather walked over to pat my shoulder. I clenched my jaw so tightly that I thought I heard my teeth shatter with the force I was using.

"All right Emma, the worst is over. Now I'm just going to add the shading," Toni said as he switched the inks and the needle. "Ready?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Toni smiled and returned to his work. I closed my eyes to blot out the sight of him finishing the tattoo, and what seemed like _hours_ later, Heather was gently shaking me. "Wake up, Em," she whispered. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times as a headache passed through my head. "I can't _believe _you fell asleep!"

I blushed and laughed nervously. "Oops."

"Nah, don't worry about it Emma. It's actually better that you fell asleep. Makes my job easier, and it's not as painful for you," Toni said as he bandaged my finger up nice and tight. I sighed as he started giving me instructions so that the design wouldn't get infected, and he taught me how to bandage the area.

"Thanks, Toni." I smiled as I flexed my left hand. "I'll be sure to spread the word."

"That's what I like to hear." Heather left Toni the agreed-upon amount and I walked out to the car. I shouldered the jacket while Heather caught up with me.

I sighed as I realized that school was going to be brutal the next week.

_/-\_

Well, I was wrong. School wasn't brutal; it was beyond the seventh circle of _Hell!_ Casey and Tanner had asked me what was wrong, and I just said that I had burned myself while cooking (which made them both laugh uncontrollably), and that it was second-degree.

I mostly kept to myself, hoping that the cold shoulder would give Casey and Tanner the hint that I wanted my space. Heather had filed the papers necessary to allow me to be home schooled, and (thankfully) the principal was neutral—which meant no Assassin or Templar interference.

Sitting at a table, I jabbed my salad with my fork and I felt someone slide in across from me. "Hey, Em!" Erik grinned as I looked up and smiled. "How's your hand?"

I looked down as I flexed my tattooed hand. "Sore, but I can handle it."

Erik laughed as he took a bite out of his turkey sandwich. "How's 'Operation: Abandonment'?" Erik asked quietly.

I shrugged. "I _think_ they're starting to get the picture, but Tanner's actually making it easier for me. He's barely talking to me _or_ Casey, so I don't think I'll have to worry about him. It's Casey that I'm worried about."

"How so?"

I sipped my water for a moment. "She's not stupid, Erik. Casey's pretty sharp, despite how she may act around others." I shook my head. "And she's gonna want to know why I'm being home schooled all of a sudden."

Erik shrugged. "You can figure it out."

"She's also worried about Tanner. She's been trying to figure it out, but Tanner's not talking."

Erik grinned. "Casey's gonna figure it out. I don't know how, but she will."

I smiled and turned my head as I saw said best friend and other said best friend walking over. Erik waved and Casey blushed while Tanner waved back—albeit a little less than enthusiastically. "Hey guys." I smiled as Casey sat next to me and eyed my food.

"Are you vegan or something?" she asked.

Erik choked on his sandwich and I shook my head slowly. "No, I just prefer a salad for lunch."

"See? I told you she wasn't a vegan!" Tanner grinned at Casey. "You owe me five bucks!"

"No I don't! I owe you five bucks if I get her to eat meat!"

Erik and I exchanged confused glances. "Why do you assume I don't eat meat?" I asked. Erik was covering his mouth as he started laughing.

Casey shrugged. "Sorry, but with all the running, riding, and everything else that you do, I was starting to think that you only ate like a rabbit—." I reached over for Erik's lunch and took a bite out of his sandwich. "Hey!" he complained as he ripped the sandwich from my hands.

"Happy?" I asked as I swallowed the food and took a swig of water.

"Five bucks, Case." Tanner grinned and Casey growled as she handed Tanner a five dollar bill. I shook my head and, actually, lunch was quite enjoyable. Tanner was still keeping quiet on what was bugging him, and I was hoping I could find out before I left the school.

I got up to put my tray in the window where the lunch ladies would wash them when Rachel passed me, and she suddenly caught my eye. She had a bandage along her left wrist. I frowned and tried to think of what happened. She wasn't a Templar—as far as I could tell.

Shaking my head, I walked back to the table. Erik was immersed in telling Tanner and Casey a story about how I nearly broke my neck while racing him home the other day. Casey shot me a disapproving look, which I returned with a shrug. The students around us ignored us as usual. (Here's the kicker, _no one_ aside from Casey and Tanner knew that Erik and I were related. We were technically cousins, but he's lived with us for so long that Derek and I see him as a little brother that we can pick on when the mood strikes us.)

"Uh, hey," Tanner said hesitantly as he rubbed the back of his head. "I've got some news, and I wanted to tell you guys before everything happened."

"What's that?" Casey and I asked at the same time.

Tanner laughed. "My dad got a job offer in California. He's taking it, and that means I'll be moving."

My jaw was on the floor. I was banking on Tanner to help Casey when I left. Perhaps Erik could do that—no. He was close to reaching Mastery level as well. I was technically already a Master Assassin; I just needed to be officially welcomed into the Order, which was going to happen in three days time.

"Wow…" I stated as I took a moment to collect myself. "I wasn't expecting _that_."

Tanner laughed weakly. "I would've told you, but after you turned me down, I kinda lost my courage."

Casey and Erik lost it and started laughing. I blushed and really wanted to bang my head against the table, but I managed to stop myself. "Sorry, Tanner," I amended. Erik and Casey stopped laughing.

"Sorry, this is a crappy birthday gift and all—." I glared at him as Casey nearly squealed.

"Oh my God! I _almost _forgot! Em, what're you doing for your birthday?!"

_Going to the Assassin headquarters to be officially initiated into the Order… _"Nothing really. Just hanging around with the family, perhaps riding Aquila for a while. It's pretty low-key. But my aunt has some family coming over later that night to celebrate with me. Mostly my creepy relatives from around the country," I replied. Erik was smirking as he pushed some of his food around. I kicked his leg hard and he jumped.

"Christ…" he hissed. I shook my head.

Casey pouted. "Fine. But at _least_ let me get you a gift?" she pleaded, and she pulled "the Look". The big eyes, pouty lip... I taught her that look and, surprisingly enough, I wasn't immune to it.

_"__Maybe when you have kids one day, Emma, you'll be immune to it," _Derek had told me when I was sixteen and Casey had pulled the look on me the first time. I still shudder at what she talked me into.

I glared at her, but she didn't budge. "Ugh!" I threw my hands up in the air. "Fine, do whatever!"

"Yay!" she nearly shouted and a few students looked towards us.

It was worse than Hell. Casey and birthdays was almost like me and Number Four sparring—they don't mix. Well, I suppose, since I'm older, I'd be able to take Number Four… That's if I found her—_when _I found her.


	12. Where I Belong

**CHAPTER TWELVE:**

**Where I Belong**

I opened my eyes and the sun was shining bright through my curtains. I smiled as I sat up and stretched my arms and back out. Today was the day. The day everything changed for me. I looked at my alarm clock and saw that it was already nine-thirty. _Okay, today's Saturday again, how lucky am I to have my birthday on the weekend?_ I thought happily as I swung my feet over the side of my bed and walked to my door.

"Happy Birthday Emma!" Derek grinned as he wrapped me in a bone-crushing (or what should be a bone-crushing) hug and proceeded to ruffle my already messy hair. "I had to be the first to say it." Derek smiled and I hugged him back.

"Thanks Der," I grinned and Derek laughed.

"I'm only tolerating it because it's your birthday."

I rolled my eyes. "Among other things."

Derek chuckled as he picked me up so I was over his shoulder and I was beating on his back. "Put me down!" I laughed as he went down the stairs. "Don't you _dare_ fart!"

A few seconds later, I felt the air rush past me as Derek threw me down on the couch and tossed something onto my stomach. "Here, I found this after going through some of dad's old things." I sat up and looked at the small gift. "You wouldn't _believe _the lock dad had put on that thing. I almost broke my hidden blade while trying to pick the lock!"

Heather walked into the living room and laughed at the sight. "You could've asked me for the key Derek."

Derek shrugged and looked back at me expectantly. "Well?"

"Oh, right," I said as I sat up and unwrapped the paper. My eyes went wide as I looked at the picture. It was a picture of my mom and dad, on their wedding day. I looked closely at my mom and found some similarities between me and her. Our hair for one, the shape of our eyes, her eyes were a little bit lighter than mine, but I got my eyes from my dad. She had a lean face, but there was no mistaking the love and kindness in it.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I set the picture down and stood up; wrapping my brother in the tightest hug I could muster. "Thank you so much Derek, this really means a lot to me," I whispered as he hugged me back and Heather wiped her eyes as she looked at the picture.

"He-Here Emma," Heather murmured as she handed me a smaller wrapped box and I opened it to reveal a black satin box. Frowning, I opened the box up and I nearly dropped what was in my hand. I looked at the picture again and saw the silver bracelet on my mom's left wrist; it was the _exact _same bracelet. It was a snake, the design was beautiful. The silver was well kept, and the copper scales were pristine, even the engraving in the silver that was exposed to the naked eye was pristine. The head and tail met, securing the bracelet around the wearer's wrist. The scarlet red gems that were used as eyes gleamed under the light, giving it a deadly look. "This has been passed down from generation to generation in our family Emma. This has been modified over the years to meet with the changing times, but it started out as an ornamental bracer, worn by our ancestors." Heather smiled as she looked at the bracelet. "It was passed down to the oldest daughter…"

I hastily put it on and it fit perfectly. "Thanks Heather," I smiled as I hugged my aunt and Erik came up behind me to give me a bear hug.

"Happy Birthday old lady!" he grinned.

I laughed. "Sorry Erik, but your mom still holds _that _title." Heather glared at me as Erik set me down and I coughed nervously.

"Anyway," Erik said before his mom could give me a proper scolding, he handed me a rather large box (wrapped of course) and after I removed the paper, I opened the box up and when I looked at what was inside, my face was _red_.

"What the hell?!" I looked at my half-brother and he grinned sheepishly.

"I had to get some help on that. Wasn't sure what you wore underneath your clothing so I had to call up Casey for the answer," Erik laughed as Derek collapsed on the couch, his loud laugh echoing through the whole house. "It was more embarrassing having to go into the store to get it—strike that, it was more embarrassing telling the cashier who it was for!"

I dropped the box from Victoria's Secret and lunged at Erik. He only laughed harder as I tackled him to the ground and started throttling his neck. "Okay that's enough!" Heather laughed. "Now Erik, what did you really want to give Emma?"

I was still fuming over the box and I was hoping that I could sneak off and burn the contents later. I got off of Erik quickly and he stood up, brushing the front of his shirt off. He and Derek were both taller than me, and they _loved_ to constantly remind me about it. "Here Em, this is my real gift." Erik handed me a simple piece of paper and I flipped it over to see a hand-drawn portrait of my family. Everyone! Even my mom!

"Wow Erik, I didn't know you were this skilled in drawing!" I smiled as I hugged my half-brother. "I'll have to get a frame for this."

"Already taken care of," Erik assured me. "I was working on the frame while in the garage. I hope you like it." Erik led me into the kitchen and on the table was a beautiful, frame. Erik helped me put the drawing in the frame and I smiled as I looked at it. "I had to use my mom as a model for your mom, but she was really helpful in adding the differences between the two of them."

I turned to face my aunt, brother, and half-brother. "Thanks guys, this means a lot to me."

They wrapped me in a tight family hug and Heather had told me to go shower and get dressed, that she would have breakfast ready before I came down. Shrugging, I grabbed my two other gifts (Erik helped me carry his first "gift") and headed upstairs. When I was satisfied with where the pictures were, I took the bracelet off and placed it in a small box that I kept some jewelry in. I grabbed a clean set of clothes and walked to the shower.

I was pulling my hair back into a messy bun (a mental reminder that I'd need to get it cut soon) as I walked downstairs. The scent of eggs and bacon reached my nose and my mouth was watering. "Hey," I greeted as I walked into the kitchen and Heather turned her head. My stomach snarled.

"Hey Em," Heather smiled as she handed me a plate with enough food to feed probably Derek and Erik at the same time. I walked to the island and sat down, digging into the meal. Heather gave me a glass of orange juice and I gladly took it. The bacon was scorching hot and my mouth was literally blistered. After chugging down the whole glass, Heather filled it up again. "Geezus, you think I never feed you around here."

I blushed as I took a sip of my orange juice. "Sorry, but I'm hungry." I swallowed another forkful of eggs.

"AAAAAAre you achin'?!" Derek shouted as he came in from outside.

"Foooor some bacon?!" Erik finished as I laughed. Heather was laughing hard as well and the boys came inside and Erik kissed his mom's cheek. Derek and I would never admit it to him, but we were jealous of Erik because of that. He still had his mom. We never knew ours.

"Thanks mom," Erik smiled as he filled up his plate with food and tossed Derek a plate of his own.

"You three're like wolves!" Heather commented as she took a plate down and filled it up with her own food.

The three of us looked at each other with innocent expressions. "What?" Derek, Erik, and I said at the same time.

Heather laughed as she joined us. "I mean, no matter how much food I buy, there's barely anything left by the end of the week!"

Erik swallowed his food. "Too bad you couldn't have been at school three days ago. Casey thought that Emmy was a vegan!" He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

I flung a forkful of eggs at Erik. "Yeah, and that sandwich you had was pretty damn good!" Erik scowled, and then started laughing.

After breakfast was done, I walked outside and saddled Aquila up. I just wanted to relax today. Casey and Tanner knew about my rather abrupt decision to finish my high school career being homeschooled, and Casey wasn't too happy about it. Honestly, I wasn't happy either. Bertha _hated _Casey (for reasons unknown) and I was the only thing that stood between Casey and Bertha—okay it was Tanner and I that stood between Casey and Bertha.

What seemed like only seconds later, Casey was honking her car horn as she pulled into my driveway and I rode Aquila back to the main pen (I'd been practicing her jumping over fences) and after she had landed safely inside the pen, I dismounted her and walked over to Casey.

"Happy Birthday Emma!" she smiled as she tossed me an envelope.

"You know how much I hate it when you buy me something…" I glared at her as I caught the object. "Besides, if I remember correctly, _you_ helped Erik with that gift from Victoria's Secret!"

Casey shrugged. "Deal with it!" She laughed. "Admit it, it was a nice gift, and it's not like anyone's ever gonna see you wearing it! I mean, it's not like you're gonna be a Victoria's Secret Model in the future!" She tapped her chin. "Unless you decide to keep the gift and wear it on your honeymoon… Your husband is gonna be one _very _lucky man."

I facepalmed, ignoring the last part of that sentence. _If we have a future after next year… _"Yeah, 'cause that's what you want to be when you're old enough!"

Casey crossed her arms and I held up a hand as I opened the envelope. It was just a card that said "Happy Birthday" and a new case for my phone. "Wow, I actually expected you to go overboard like you do every year," I admitted.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Your faith in me is _truly_ remarkable." I grinned at the remark.

"Give me a few minutes, I have to get the saddle off of Aquila and make sure her and Spirit are fed." Casey nodded and I handed her my gift. I spun on my heel and started running after Aquila (who hated it when I chased her down).

When I was done chasing her, I got the saddle off and she snorted at me disdainfully. "Oh shut up!" I growled as I gently patted her nose.

I walked out of the pen and into the house to enjoy my little party of my family. I didn't want to make a big deal of this day, especially since later tonight, the big deal would happen.

_/-\_

When Casey was gone, I looked down. It was time. Every bloody nose, every cut, every bruise, everything that I have done up to this point will finally _mean_ something. Grinning to myself, I walked up to my room and changed out of the regular clothes I was currently wearing. I changed into a new pair of blue jeans, I tied my new running shoes to my feet tightly, a semi-skin tight black t-shirt, and my Assassin necklace completed the outfit and unconsciously, I brushed my left hand over the hairband that was a permanent feature on my body. A silent thank you to Number Four.

I didn't bother with my dark grey jacket. I wouldn't need it when I arrived at Headquarters. With determination, I walked over to my bookshelf and pressed the button that revealed my weapons. I grabbed a gym bag and carefully placed the weapons inside. I zipped the bag up and walked in front of the dark grey jacket and I ran my fingers against the soft material.

I could almost _feel _the memories bleeding through the fabric and into my skin. I shook my head gently. "It's time to move on." I walked out of my room and down the stairs, where Derek was waiting for me in his own white jacket.

"Ready Emma?" Derek asked as he took the bag from my shoulder.

"I was _born_ ready," I replied and Derek smiled as we walked out to the car. I slid into the passenger's seat of the car and Derek drove us to the Headquarters.

"Em, you _are_ ready for this." I nodded, not really looking at him and he caught on quickly. "You didn't end it, did you?"

I shamefully shook my head. "I just…" I chewed on my lip. "I just ran out of time."

"It's okay Emma, I'm sure you will think up something."

I looked down. "I know, everyone keeps telling me that 'I'll figure it out' or 'you're a skilled liar, I'm sure you'll think of something'."

Derek shot me an apologetic look. "Not to sound like William, but he does have a point. If Casey and Tanner ever found out about you, then, the Templars would know how to flush you out, use your weaknesses against you. You know as well as I do that the Templars would kill them both if they ever found out about you and your affiliations."

I crossed my arms and looked out the windshield. "Just let me get through this evening, and then we can talk about who can and can't know my secret," I suggested and Derek nodded.

The rest of the drive to Headquarters was silent. We arrived at the rather low-built skyscraper that doubled as a Law Firm (a front for any Templars with prying eyes) on time and we both walked inside (Derek had my weapons over his shoulder). Abrafo smiled as we approached him and he allowed us to enter the back area.

Taking a turn down an empty hallway, Derek and I stopped in front of an elevator and I pressed the "Up" button. Once the doors opened, we walked inside and I took a deep breath. "I look forward to seeing you in the morning Emma, as an official member and Master of the Assassin Order."

I grinned, looking at my reflection in the stainless steel elevator doors. "I've been looking forward to this for three years."

Derek gently wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Happy Birthday Em," he whispered. "You've earned this." I hugged my brother again. "Remember," Derek said as he pulled back, "once those doors open, you're on your own."

I nodded once and when the doors opened, Derek threw his hood up over his face and carried my weapons with him. I walked out a few seconds later and clenched my hands at my sides. Looking down, I closed my eyes and reflected on everything that has brought me here, to this moment. Jake's betrayal, Orson's harsh words, my father's unrelenting love…

_"If you aren't going to give it your all, you're just wasting my time by doing this."_

I smirked at the old memory. I had given it my all; I will _always _give it my all. Until the day I die, I will not go down without a fight, I was born an Assassin, and I will die as an Assassin. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, relaxing my hands.

I walked forward and opened the doors. The words were spoken softly, but they brought me comfort. Men and women in white had their right fists over their hearts, their hoods raised, obscuring their faces as they said in unison, the phrase that has been forever etched into the Assassin Brotherhood.

"_Laa shay'a waqi'un moutlaq bale kouloun moumkine."_

Taking the first step forward, my breathes were coming out steadily, practiced. In the center of the room, was my new jacket. The white fabric gleamed in the light, the red diamond made up the beak on the hood and two thick lines that ran down the shoulders and down the length of the arms. Two thinner red stripes wrapped around the upper arms and I noticed two thin lines that ran parallel to the red diamond.

My weapons were placed before it, on a small ledge. I placed the hidden blades against my bare arms, secured the belt around my waist, and secured my dagger to my left leg. All that was left was the jacket.

I ran my fingers gently over the fabric. I could feel the reinforced material. Along the forearms, the cloth was laced with the strongest metal known and it was almost as if you were wearing bracers. Our Technical Assassins had somehow created the jackets to be as light as air while appearing as a regular jacket. The jackets were also somewhat bullet proof, I wasn't sure how they made that possible, but they did. They were semi-skin tight, making it easier to identify who was who out in the field.

I shouldered the jacket and zipped it up to mid-chest. I swallowed as I threw my hood up over my face and I grinned as I looked forward. The chanting stopped (it was getting kinda creepy). William smiled thinly and I inclined my head.

"We come here tonight. Not in celebration nor in grief; but in fortitude as another Assassin has come of age."

I closed my eyes, my hands behind my back.

William didn't change his infamous monotone. "Emma it is time to join those who surround you now and understand that you are a worthy instrument for the higher cause." William cleared his throat. "Understand that whatever decisions are made from this day forward, cannot be taken back. This final act of loyalty will transform you into a true Assassin."

I nodded once and walked forward, towards one of the open glass windows. On the other side, was a metal beam and below me, nothing. Nothing but the roof of the building that I was to land on. I easily walked out onto the platform and crouched down when I reached the edge.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted," William finished as I jumped forward and easily landed in a crouch on the roof below. I didn't look back. This was what I was born for; this is what I trained for.

This was were I belonged.


	13. Buzzard Food

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN:**

**Buzzard Food**

I rolled my shoulders as I sprinted forward, leaping between the building gaps as if I was jumping over cracks on the sidewalks below. The bigger gaps, I slid down the side of the wall until my hands found purchase. When I did find hand-holds, I easily climbed up the side of the building and hoisted myself up over the edge and continued running.

Once or twice, my vision acted weird, the blue haze washed across my vision and when I blinked, the world was its normal colors. I didn't pay it any attention. Nothing would distract me. This was my night.

I skidded to a stop on top of a building and crouched down on the edge so I could survey the area. All was quiet. My lips curled into a frown and I sighed. I lowered my hood as I ran my hand through my hair and replaced it over my face. "What a boring night," I growled as I stood up.

I turned to make my way to another sector of the city, when, I heard the sound of someone running and I heard another set of footsteps right after that. I looked over the edge and saw a girl in a light blue hooded jacket and jeans running, clutching her purse as she turned down a side street. I lost sight of her and I had hoped that the side street didn't end in a dead end.

Clenching my jaw, I followed the people that were chasing the girl as best as I could (the side-street ended in a dead end) I rubbed my chin, trying to think of a way that I could take care of these thugs without making myself noticed. As I looked around, my vision suddenly turned blue and to my left, something was glowing. I followed the light and the weird vision faded. I looked down and I was pleased to see a small concrete fence separating the two buildings by mere centimeters. I easily jumped down landing in a crouch, and crawled along it like a street cat and I perched myself in the shadows.

"C'mon girl, where's your friend?" the thug growled and my blood went cold. It was the same thug from a few weeks ago! _Then that means…oh shit. _I tilted my head slightly, intrigued and a bit panicked.

The girl spun around, her chest moving up and down erratically. I couldn't see her face; the hood was up and concealing most of it in shadow. "I-I-I don't know!" I narrowed my eyes as the second thug walked into my line of sight and grabbed a discarded pipe from the dumpster that was below me. I flicked my left wrist and the blade easily slid out, silently.

"This is for Bert," the armed thug snarled and I jumped. "You're gonna wish you were de—." The thug fell into the concrete as my blade pierced the back of his neck, relieving his spine of his skull.

"No," I whispered into his ear, "she's not gonna die tonight." I removed my hidden blade. "_You_ are." The thug that had the pipe went limp under me and I stood up. The first thug spun around, his face drained of all color.

His eyes fell on his dead friend then back on the girl in front of him. "You little bitch—holy fuck!" the thug screamed as a throwing knife lodged into his shoulder blade. I walked over and the thug spun around, swung his arm towards my face and I ducked, shooting my right arm forward and flicked my wrist. The noise of my blade piercing this man's flesh was all the indication I needed to know that I had hit a vital spot. I pulled my arm back and the thug fell forward, blood pooling around where I had stabbed him.

I crouched down and the thugs wild eyes looked at me. "I hope it was worth it. Rest in peace," I murmured as I closed the thug's eyes. I wiped my blade off on the back of the dead thug's shirt and removed my throwing knife from his back. I wiped it off then looked at the scared victim. "Do you need a doctor?" I asked.

"N-N-No, they were just chasing me." I saw a few stray strands of dark blonde hair escape the confines of the hood.

I nodded once and crossed my arms. "You need to get out of here, I'm gonna be calling the police to report this."

The victim stared at me with disbelief. "Why would you do that? You just _killed _these men as if it was nothing! The police are gonna arrest you!"

I grinned. "Can you keep a secret?" I asked. The victim nodded. "So can I. Now _go_." The victim ran around me (shot a worried glance before I waved her away and she headed home) and I pulled out an old cellphone that wasn't traceable. I dialed 9-1-1 and the dispatcher picked up.

"_Hello this is 9-1-1 what is your emergency?" _

I cleared my throat. "There are two bodies in an alley, near the Empire State Building."

"_Stay there, we are on our way."_

I hung up the phone and used the fire escape to make my getaway. When I was on top of the building, I looked down and watched as police swarmed the scene. I watched as the few police officers looked around closely and one of them looked at the wounds then up at me. _Directly _at me. They nodded once, and I knew that they were Assassins. I nodded back and took off into the night.

I jumped a couple more buildings, until I came to a stop. Looking down, I jumped, landing in a crouch, and took off running down the block. When I was sure no one was watching, I slipped into another alley and climbed a conveniently placed ladder. "Thanks lazy construction workers!" I stated lowly.

When I was back up on the roofs, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I frowned. Something wasn't right. Thankfully, I listened to my instincts as I rolled to my left and a knife lodged itself in the spot where I had just been. I flicked my wrist and jumped the Templar.

With a twist of their wrist, the Templar deflected my attack and they sent a punch towards me. Ducking, I rolled away and landed easily on my feet. I shot my leg out and the Templar fell on their back. "Asshole!" they snarled as they stood up and I frowned. The voice was too high for a man. I wasn't paying attention and I grunted as the woman's leg connected with my side. She kicked at my side again and I grabbed her leg, using her momentum against her, and I tossed her to the ground.

I shrugged as I walked in front of the woman. "Look who's talking! Least I'm not trying to enslave the minds of men, women, and children alike!" The Templar scrambled to their feet and removed a sick looking dagger from a sheathe around their waist. "Nice toy…" I smiled as I removed my own dagger. "But _this _is a real weapon," I said as I tossed my dagger up into the air and caught it easily.

The Templar attacked me, their dagger raised above their head and I jumped back. "Stay still!" they snarled as they slashed at me again and I used my dagger to deflect the blow.

"Nah," I shrugged as I spun and the Templar didn't realize I had punched her until she was on her side, holding her stomach. "This is too much fun." I grinned as the Templar stood up and ran at me. I moved to the side a few inches and grabbed the back of the Templars hooded sweatshirt and pulled them back to the ground.

The hood fell to reveal pale blonde hair and equally pale blue eyes. She was at least ten years my senior but she didn't look any older than perhaps twenty-four or twenty-five. However, if she was older than me, then she had more experience hunting Assassin's than I did—which meant she knew how to kill an Assassin.

I jumped back as she stood up and swung one of those ridiculous retractable stick-things at me and I crossed my arms. "That's what you rely on when you can't use your dagger? _Pathetic_!" I taunted and the woman attacked me again.

I ducked as she swung her stick-thing at my head and using my right arm, I grabbed the arm that had the weapon and with my left hand, I dislocated her shoulder and retrieved the retractable stick-thing and in the same movement, I swiped it across her face and she fell to the ground, crying out in pain as she spit some blood up from the impact. I tossed the weapon over the side of the building and crouched down to the wounded Templar.

"So," I said in a friendly-yet-sarcastic tone, "had enough yet?" The woman tried to punch me with her left arm and I stopped it with my right hand and pressed my left hidden blade to her throat. "Obviously not. One last chance to clear your conscience." My eyes narrowed at her attempt. There was a nice cut along her left cheek, starting from her left ear, along her cheek, to her lips (they were cut open and bleeding), and ended at her chin.

The woman groaned in obvious defeat. She knew that I wasn't going to let her live. It wasn't the way the Assassin's worked. Unless there were Templars that were true to their word in wanting to leave the Templar Order, the Assassin's were trained to kill Templars on sight.

"I have no regrets Assassin. At least I will die, fighting for what I believe in." She swallowed and my blade drew a small amount of blood. "But one last favor?" I nodded; my mouth in a grim line. "Make it quick."

"We all strive to find something worth fighting for. I'm glad you found it." I forced my hidden blade into the woman's throat and she gasped, her eyes open and glazed over. Her death was instant. "Rest in peace." I ran my thumb and index finger over her eyes and closed them.

I checked the Templar's watch and I realized that my solo flight was done. No doubt William would send the "Buzzards" to do a sweep of the area. "Buzzards" was Assassin slang for the Assassin's that were sent out after a new Assassin officially joined the Order to clean up any Templar deaths that may have been made. Sighing, I reached into my jacket pocket and retrieved a small, dime-sized beacon and activated it, placing it inside the woman's jean pocket.

After I made sure that there wasn't anything of value on the woman, I stood up and made my way along the roofs until I slid down a slanted building and landed in an alley. No one noticed my descent and I walked over to a couple of trash bins. Moving them aside, I revealed my new bike and a helmet was resting on the seat. I picked it up.

"_Happy Birthday Emma," _it read.

Shrugging, I placed the note in my back jean pocket, grabbed the white and red helmet and put it on my head after I removed my hood. I revved the engine for good measure and I almost laughed. The engine literally purred as I revved it a few times. I hit the gas and sped through the city, passing a few cars (and being shouted at).

This is when living in New York State was a blessing. Sure the drive to New York City was about an hour and the drive to school was an hour and a half, but I enjoyed the drive.

I checked the time (the bike had a small digital clock installed) and I frowned. It was already around midnight and I wasn't even _remotely _tired. As I drove along I-87 S, I passed a few police cars and from what I saw, it seemed as though the officers were napping.

"Idiots…" I muttered as I passed their hiding spot.

Another half-hour later I took the exit off of the highway and turned down a few streets and finally, I was near my own home. I lived in a secluded spot near Middletown, New York. Plenty of woods, plenty of farmland too, and a perfect place to raise an Assassin family.

My dad had bought a two story farmhouse that he had renovated when he had bought the home. Now it had extra rooms in the basement for when we had company, the basement was fully refurbished, the main level looked more modern than old, and the upstairs was just as modern-looking. I guess when you are perhaps swapping stories with the Mentor of the Assassin's; you're entitled to living luxuriously.

I drove up the long driveway and I grinned when I saw the dirt from where I had taken a spill a while back. There was one light on (the front porch light) and I rolled my eyes.I hoped that my arrival didn't wake anyone up, I wasn't in the mood to brawl with Derek or Erik.

Shutting my bike off as I reached the side of the house, I walked it into the barn that held our vehicles, and then I walked into my home.

Once I was inside and the side door was locked and closed, I rested against it and lowered my hood. I closed my eyes and laughed quietly to myself. I did it. I survived my first night as an official Master Assassin. I walked into the kitchen, turned the light on, and grabbed a glass then filled it up with cool water.

The liquid felt good going down and I groaned as my side screamed in pain again. I knew it would bruise, but after a few hours, I wouldn't even feel it anymore (I hoped). I set the empty glass in the sink and looked out the window and into the large backyard. I rested my arms over the counter and just stared out the window, enjoying the peace and quiet.

"How'd it go?" Derek mumbled as he walked into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I hung my head. _So much for peace and quiet... _I looked at my older brother, his hair was a wild mess and I shook my head. "Be sure to turn the front porch light off," he continued.

"Just fine." He nodded once and drank his water, then he shuffled his way upstairs. "And I'll do that." I walked to the living room and found the light switches that controlled our outside lights. I flicked the only switch that was up, down and the entire property was bathed in black. Back in the kitchen, I splashed some cold water on my face and let the water drip from my chin, back into the stainless-steel basin. _It's so nice to be home..._

After turning the lights off, I walked upstairs, taking my jacket off as I walked into my room (closing the door as I turned my lights on) and hung it up. I removed my weapons and put them on the altar, then the altar vanished into the wall and my bookshelf remained.

After changing out of my clothes and into a pair of grey sweatpants and a dark purple t-shirt, I grabbed a random book and opened it to a random page as I sat on my bed. I checked the cover to see what book I grabbed. _Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. _I was still reading it and I found the bookmark pretty quickly and continued to read where I left off.

"'I found power in accepting the truth of who I am. It may not be a truth that others can accept, but I cannot live any other way. How would it be to live a lie every minute of your life.'." I rested my head against my pillows and shook my head. At the current moment, I was living a lie. To me, it felt as though I led on two different lives, two lives that always conflicted.

There was Emma Hale: a regular eighteen-year-old girl with a brother, half-brother, and an aunt. She attended school (or at least used to), got good grades, stayed out of the trouble (most of the time), and hung out with her best friends.

Then there was Master Hale: an eighteen-year-old girl who is a Master Assassin that came from a long line of Assassin's and perhaps a Templar heritage as well. She wasn't well-known, but the Templars knew enough to fear her when crossed.

I sighed as I rubbed my forehead and I realized the truth. I've carefully woven a lie around my entire life to protect those that I care about… I was just like this Eon character. No matter how badly I want to tell Casey and Tanner about me, about my secret, I couldn't tell them.

They wouldn't understand. They would _never _understand.


	14. Not My Day

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN:**

**Not My Day**

I woke up to the sound of Heather knocking on my door.

"Wake up Emma! It's already ten in the morning!"

Slowly, I shook my head and something white caught my attention. Looking up, I looked at my new Assassin jacket and everything suddenly made sense. I was initiated into the Order last night. As I stood up, I groaned and held my side. Moving my shirt up, I looked at my left side and saw a nasty bruise that covered most of my side. _Right, that Templar landed a blow to me…_

I stumbled my way down the steps and Heather greeted me with a hug (I gasped in pain at the pressure she was applying to my bruised side). "Congrats Emma!" she beamed as she released me and I rubbed my eyes a few times.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I made my way into the kitchen. Derek had a bowl of oatmeal for me and I grabbed it (after grabbing a glass of milk) and sat in the living room. I flipped the television on and turned on the History Channel and watched an episode about the Joan of Arc being burned at the stake and I shuddered at that for some reason.

"Hey Em," Derek said as he took a seat in the recliner. "Watching the History Channel again?" I nodded as I ate some oatmeal. "William called early this morning; I swear that guy never sleeps! He said that you killed a Templar and two thugs last night?"

I nodded as I swallowed my oatmeal and drank some milk. "The thugs weren't much fun. Too easy to sneak up on. The Templar was a blast." I grinned but my hand wrapped around my torso and I nursed my bruised side.

"And that Templar landed a blow to you?" Heather said as she lifted my shirt up enough to see the bruise. "Ice and time…as usual." I nodded and continued to eat my breakfast. I was three-fourths of the way done with my oatmeal and drinking some milk, when Heather spoke again. "Before I forget Em, you're going to be doing the noon and afternoon patrols."

I started choking on my milk and Derek was kind enough to slam his fist onto my back. I recovered from my coughing fit and looked at my aunt. "W-What?!"

Heather shrugged. "It's the only time. Plus you aren't in school anymore—and that reminds me, I have an English assignment for you when you get back."

I slouched in my seat. Of course. No more school, no more drama, no more secrets. After I had finished eating, I excused myself and went upstairs to shower. The hot water helped some with my sore side, but not enough. After I was done, I inspected the bruise closely and applied pressure in different spots and each time, I hissed as the pain flared up.

"Fucking Templar…" I growled.

I returned to my room and grabbed a bullet-proof black long-sleeved shirt (another invention courtesy of the Technical Assassin's), jeans, and everything else I would need for patrols today. I placed my blades and knives in their respective places, and then I finally grabbed my white jacket. I zip it up to mid-chest. I checked my clock and frowned. Almost eleven.

I half-ran out to my bike and quickly sped out of the driveway and onto the street. I wove in and out of traffic easily. I only had to stop for stoplights and every time I did (which wasn't often) I grinned as the same thought entered my mind: _What if the Assassin's didn't have to stop for those stupid things? At least there wouldn't be as many escaped Templars in high-speed chases._

When I reached the highway, I hit the gas and speed towards the city. I lived in New York State, but I patrolled in New York City…I didn't write the rules—or the patrol schedule.

I stopped at a stoplight and I looked to my right and saw the familiar car. I forgot she had free period between eleven and noon and lunch was right after her free period; she was probably heading back to school or going to lunch. Casey looked a little worse for wear, probably still a little shaken up about that near-death-experience from last night. As if she knew I was staring at her, Casey turned her head and (thankfully) I had my visor down so she didn't know _who _was next to her.

I nodded as she waved at me and I returned my attention to the red light. _C'mon, turn green already! _Finally, the light turned green and I took off like a bat outta hell. Weaving in and out of the heavy traffic is a pain, but the more distance I put between Casey and myself, the better.

Eventually, I found a place to hide my bike. After running my hand through my hair a few times, I pulled it back and tossed my hood up over my face. _At least if I get hungry later, I can just jump down and grab something at Subway…_ I smiled at the thought. Shaking my head to clear it, I scramble up a fire escape again and start the noon patrols. Normally, patrols are around two to five hours long; the patrol I was running was three. I was hoping I would be running the longer patrol, I didn't really want to do an English paper...

At around one in the afternoon, I start to see a steady stream of kids from my old school heading towards the fast-food chains that littered this part of the city. I laughed as a few boys started to actually _wrestle _to get into the doors at McDonalds. However, my amusement was short-lived when I heard some grunting and squealing. I walked over to the edge of the roof and looked down, only to see Casey being dragged by Bertha, _by her hair_!

I take a few steps back and landed behind a few garbage bags.

"You don't have Emma or Tanner to protect you anymore," Bertha growled and I remembered that Tanner had left for California yesterday. "So now, you're gonna get your long overdue beat down!"

I heard Casey whimper and scramble away, only to stop when Bertha must've grabbed her leg. I somehow manage to move from my hiding spot and I appear behind Bertha. Casey looked at me once and a smirk appeared on her face as she looked back at Bertha.

"What're you smirking at runt?" Bertha snarled and I rolled my eyes.

"Perhaps you should stick with picking on people your own size?" I said as I crossed my arms.

Bertha froze as she turned around, her face showing that she was shocked that someone was witnessing this. "Where'd you come from?" she asked, her eyes looking for a badge. My badge was my ring finger.

I pointed up at the sky and Bertha looked up. That was the three seconds I needed and I bolted forward, my left fist connecting with her stomach. She fell back and Casey scrambled out of the way and towards the entrance to the alley. I didn't have a lot of breathing room, since Bertha recovered swiftly and I jumped back and to the side as she tried to tackle me to the ground like all wrestlers do. I snickered as I remembered my fight with Derek a while ago.

_"Face it, brute strength _always _looses to agility and grace!"_

As Bertha kept up her attack on me, I easily dodged her predictable moves and within a few minutes, I could see some sweat starting to form on her forehead. I was at least three feet away from the drugged up wrestler and again, my arms were crossed.

"W-Wh-Where do you go to school?" she grunted as she wiped her forehead.

I rolled my eyes. "That's none of your business."

Bertha growled unimpressively for a few short seconds and the fight—okay it's not really a fight but you get the picture—ended just as quickly as it started. Within two minutes, I nail a solid blow to Bertha's chest. She staggered back and fell into a pile of garbage bags. "Christ, I always knew you were a pile of garbage, you didn't need to prove that…" I mumbled too low for Bertha to hear. "You aren't worth my time. Leave that girl alone."

With the warning said, I spun on my heel and started to walk towards the mouth of the alley (towards Casey) when I felt someone grab the back of my jacket and pull me back. I was tossed to the ground but I rolled to my feet, my hood was somewhat off, but my face remained (somewhat) hidden.

"You don't know when to quit…do you?" I sneered as I stood up and rearranged my hood so that my face was concealed again. Bertha answered my question when she swung a punch at my face and I deflected it and she ended up hitting the broadside of the dumpster behind me. I grinned when I heard the _crack _of her bones snapping. "Least I know you can hit the broadside of a dumpster!"

"Holy shit!" Bertha screamed as she cradled her broken hand.

I shrugged. "That won't be the only thing hurting…" Bertha looked at me and soon, the back of my foot connected with her head and she fell back, unconscious. "You were warned," I hissed into her ear. She moaned from the pain.

The sharp, abrupt intake of breath brought me back to reality and my eyes widen as I looked at Casey (who was walking closer to me). _Oh no, no, no, no, no, no! _I continued to stare at Casey, reading her body language. She was more curious than scared—which was something that I didn't want.

Casey stared at me for what seemed like ages and her blue eyes were full of questions. I didn't move, afraid that if I did, she would pounce and try to rip the hood from my face. "I know who you are," she said quietly.

I crossed my arms. "Really? Who am I then?" I challenged.

Casey looked down then back up at me. "You saved me last night."

"Well," I snorted, "at least that cleared up any of your confusion."

Casey shook her head. "You're not that friend of Emma's…are you?"

I shrugged. "She has a lot of friends. I'm just an acquaintance."

Casey frowned. "I don't believe you." I didn't answer her as I placed my hands on my hips. "_No one _in my school knows how to take down Bertha," Casey said as she pointed to Bertha (who looked like she needed a doctor, ASAP), "except for my best friend and a few wrestlers from my school."

All the color in my face drained instantly. How could I have forgotten that _I _knew how to take down Bertha so easily? This _has _to be a record or something! Not even a full twenty-four hours and I'm more than likely going to blow my cover. Casey walked forward and I flicked my wrist, making her stop dead in her tracks.

"Don't come any closer," I warned. Even though revealing myself, my heritage is against the rules…it's not against the Creed and its three tenets.

_Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent._

_Hide in plain sight._

_Never compromise the Brotherhood._

Casey jumped at my voice, but kept walking towards me. _Please, please, please stop._ If Casey de-hoods me, it will be the single most humiliating thing that has _ever _happened to me!

"If you want to know who I am…you could just ask," I muttered.

Casey crossed her arms. "Take the hood off," she said in a daring tone.

I looked around and retracted my blade. My eyes rested on Casey and I realized that eleven years worth of lies and hurt feelings was about to end…_now_. "If I show you who I am under the hood…your life is in danger," I pleaded. "I won't always be able to protect you."

Casey pouted. "I can take care of myself."

I shook my head. "My enemies are something entirely different than this girl." I gestured to Bertha.

Casey bristled. "I can handle it. _Just tell me who you are already_!" Casey almost shouted. I sighed as I turned my Bluetooth off and I slowly brought my hands to the hem of my hood. Gripping the soft, smooth, reinforced material tightly, I looked at Casey again. "What're you afraid of?" Casey asked impatiently.

I gulped. "I'm afraid for your safety. I _do _have enemies—." Casey cut me off.

"I know you do, you said that already."

I sighed again. I knew that as soon as I took my hood off, I'd have to protect Casey. But I didn't know if she would accept the truth—if she would accept _me_ anymore. Looking down, I pulled the fabric from my head and I close my eyes as I heard Casey gasp. When I feel the hood hit my back, I look up and open my eyes.

I gave Casey a small, reassuring smile. I was relieved that she now knew the truth, but at the same time, I was flat-out terrified. What would happen if William found out? Would he kill her? No, that's not what the Assassin's do. He'd probably (somehow) make her forget what she saw.

"_E-Emma_!?" Casey squeaked.

I nodded once and kept my arms at my sides. "It's me…it's really me," I answered in a calm voice.

Casey's jaw dropped open and I crossed my arms. I was calm—somehow I was calm. "W-What the shit?!" she stammered.

I put a hand up to stop her from continuing. "It's a long…_complicated _story. I don't have the time to tell you here, if you come back to my place after school, I can explain _everything _to you."

And, as if this day couldn't get any worse, Erik was passing by and he happened to look at Casey and I. His green eyes were wide with disbelief at what he was looking at. I shook my head slightly and he continued walking to the school.


	15. This is Who I am

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN:**

**This is Who I am**

Casey stood there, frozen in place as she looked at me. What did she think of me? What did I look like to her now? I shook my head as the thoughts ravaged my mind and I placed my hands on my hips again. Casey's gaze rested on my left ring finger and I flexed my left hand, making her look back at me.

"W-What?" she stammered. She was obviously in shock.

"It's me," I repeated gently. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at me, then my leg, my wrists, and finally the belt around my waist. I reached out with my hand and she flinched away. My heart nearly tore at the gesture. She was _scared _of me. "Case, it's still me," I insisted.

Her eyes rested on my wrists again and I sighed. I flicked both of my wrists and Casey jumped back, spooked by the sudden and casual appearance of the weapons. "These won't hurt you," I began, "unless I put my hand to your throat or chest and you know, flick my wrist." I smiled, hoping that it would reassure her, but I could easily see that it didn't. I flicked my wrists again and the weapons retracted.

"What _are_ you?" she finally muttered.

I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "I can't exactly tell you right here. Please, after school, come to my place."

Casey shook her head. "H-How long?"

"Since I was seven," I answered plainly.

Casey was obviously shocked that I could lie to her for _eleven _years. I smiled thinly as I heard her stomach snarl. I reached into my back pocket and my eyes lit up when I felt some paper in my hands. I pulled the twenty dollars out and handed it to her. She took it carefully and looked at me. "Lunch is almost over," I said as I flipped my hood up over my face. "Get something to eat and head back to school, okay?"

Casey nodded, and I took off up the fire escape and over the side of the roof. I still had two hours of patrols left and I just wasted an hour of it fighting Bertha. Oops. I quickly pulled out the same cellphone from last night and called 911, telling them that there was a mugging and the location. After they said that they were sending an ambulance, I looked over the edge of the roof and Casey was gone, no doubt at one of the restaurants getting some lunch.

It was the last hour of patrols, and I decided that a few minutes of looking around the area wouldn't hurt. I jumped along the roofs easily and I crouched down as I saw a trio of girls walking down the sidewalk, probably on their free period. One girl (the one closest to the building) had an ocean blue hooded jacket on, jeans, and regular sneakers. The girl placed the hood loosely over her head and shades were covering her eyes. As if she felt my gaze on her, the girl looked up and we made eye contact.

My eyes widened when I looked at the girl…

The girl tilted her head as she stopped walking, her friends kept walking, oblivious that their friend just stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and was staring up at an Assassin. She made a gesture with her hands and I picked up that she was trying to coax me down without drawing the attention of anyone else.

I snickered as I caught on. She thought I was _suicidal_! Shaking my head, I sat down on the edge, my legs dangling over the side casually as if I was sitting at the edge of a pool. The girl just looked at me as if I were insane and I grinned back, enjoying the show. The girl shook her head as she looked around, perhaps for someone to help me. She was probably looking for the police.

"Guys!" she screamed finally and her friends stopped (who were just about to enter a Subway). "Come here! Someone's about to—!" I stood up and bolted for the other side of the building and jumped over the gap with ease. The girl would think she was just imagining things.

I frowned as I thought about that encounter though. When I saw the girl, something in the back of my mind literally _screamed _at me, telling me that I knew that girl from somewhere. _If she was important, I would've remembered her right away, _I assured myself.

By the time I reached my bike again, I had already seen the other Assassins out and patrolling. I removed my hood from my face and jammed the helmet on. Kicking the bike to life, I revved the engine a few times and sped along the road, but I took a detour and drove along the street that had that Subway with that girl in it.

I parked my bike out front and I kept my visor down as I watched the three girls eating. My eyes narrowed on the one in the middle and again, as if she felt my gaze on her, she looked out the window and I flipped my visor up. I couldn't see her eyes—I was too far away—but I knew they were wide. I nodded at her once and, flipping my visor down, I took off towards home.

_/-\_

As soon as I arrived home, Erik walked out of the garage. He normally went to the barn after school to work on the bikes (he did his homework in the barn too for some reason). His usual smile was replaced with a worried expression. "Erik!" I breathed as I slowed the bike down and walked over to him. "Thank God you're home!"

"What happened today?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know. I just… I don't know what happened."

He crossed his arms. "Don't you realize what's gonna happen now?"

I nodded. "Of course I do!" I rubbed my forehead. "Don't tell Derek or your mom okay? I want to get out of this mess _on my own_. Come and get me when Casey arrives. She should be here shortly." Erik nodded and I went upstairs and quickly changed into a new pair of faded blue jeans, a sun-burnt orange long-sleeve shirt with a random logo that I didn't pay attention to.

I was in the kitchen finishing up a quick snack when Erik walked in. His arms were covered in either oil or dirt. He was going to be showering tonight. "Hey, Em. Casey's here to see you," Erik said as he glared at me.

I nodded. "Thanks, Erik."

Before I could even take a step out of the house, Erik gently gripped my arm. "Do you realize the danger you've put her in because of what happened today?" His tone was dark and solemn.

I shrugged off his grip. "Yeah, I know. Just let me explain to her what I can, okay? Then, if she doesn't promise to keep this secret under the radar, I'll take her to William and he'll wipe her memory of ever knowing about my Assassin secret."

Erik nodded and I walked out to see Casey over by the horses. She turned her head as I approached, and I could see a lot of emotions running through her mind. She was confused, shocked, curious…

"Hey," I greeted as I leaned against the fence with her and watched the two horses run around.

Casey swallowed for a moment. "Uh…"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "I'm still…" I trailed off, looking behind my back. "I'm still the same person, Case." Casey stared at me in disbelief. "C'mon, I think I should explain _some_ things to you, at least," I stated and I take note of the hesitation. "I won't kill you. I can't."

"_Can't_, or _won't_?" she asked. I couldn't decipher if she was being sarcastic or not.

I snickered. "_Can't_," I reassured my friend. I jumped over the fence easily, remembering that I didn't have to hide much from Casey anymore, and I could almost see her eyes widening as she watched me. I saddled Aquila quickly and Casey managed to get the saddle on Spirit, who nudged Casey's shoulder gently. Spirit was _always _in tune with Casey's emotions, despite being Heather's horse.

I had the horse going at a steady trot with Casey next to me, gripping the reins tightly. The trip to the clearing took a little bit longer than usual, but that was because Casey had never been to this part of the property before. When we arrived, I dismounted my horse, tethered her to a tree and patted her nose as I waited for Casey to tether Spirit.

We walked on the barely-existent trail, and after a few moments, we arrived at a small clearing. It had a large, flat boulder. Perfect for sitting on. "Okay." I grinned. "We can talk now."

"Good," Casey said, "'cause I have a _ton_ of questions."

I giggled a little bit. "Then ask away."

"When did you get the tattoo?" She pointed to my ring finger.

"A week ago."

Casey nodded, taking the information in slowly. "The blades?" She gestured to my arms. I could see the hint of relief in them.

"Look, I know I owe you an explanation for everything, but I can only tell you _certain _things about me. The weapons you saw me use… I can't tell you about them—at least not yet." I cleared my throat. "I _do_, however, owe you an apology."

"Why?"

I laughed nervously. "I thought that if I told you what I am… I thought that you wouldn't be able to see _me _anymore." I wrung my hands together.

Casey snorted. "You haven't told me _anything _yet. All I know is that you're some hooded heroine who's seriously well-armed and pretty damn good at climbing walls like Spider-Man."

I nodded, smirking at the reference of not only being described a "hero" (which, by all accounts, I _wasn't_), but at the compliment of my rather fast climbing. "Case, trust me: if I was a hero, I wouldn't be what I am."

"Then… what are you?" she asked curiously. I bit my lip, trying to figure out how I was going to word it. Four simple words. _Four _stupid, simple words, words that I'd wanted to tell Casey and Tanner my entire life and now… _Now _I couldn't even find the courage to say them! "Don't bother lying," she said firmly.

I shrugged in response. "I can't help it, I have to lie—for obvious reasons…" I shook my head. "I've lied for over a decade and you're just noticing _now_?" I replied sarcastically.

"What does your tattoo mean?" she asked, as if she was coaxing me into saying the _four stupid words that wouldn't come out of my mouth_!

"I'm part of an order," I began slowly.

"Like… like a _cult_?!"

I put my hand up. "No, no. Not a cult. More like a family."

Her eyes were wide. "B-But you had weapons… you-you can climb walls!"

I raised an eyebrow. "I think the term you are looking for is _parkour_."

"What the hell? I thought you only spoke Italian!"

I laughed again, gasping and gripping my bruised side for a moment. "_Parkour_ is French for free-running, Casey." I slowly moved my hand from my side. "Free-running is basically how I get around the city without my bike. I mean, you can't ride a bike on a roof."

"Why'd you grip your side just now?" she asked.

I shrugged. "A T—someone just kicked me there. It's nothing I can't handle." I stood up and offered my hand. "Let's head back, it's getting dark out and it's also getting chilly." I rubbed my arms for a moment to further convince her. Casey nodded.

As we rode back to the house, Casey was still looking at me. "Is that why, when you came back form camp every year, you looked different?"

I stopped my horse. "Yes," I said slowly, "but I wasn't at 'camp' like you were told. I was at a training camp."

"'Training camp'?" I could hear the obvious confusion in her tone.

I shrugged. "Like I said, it might be easier to explain if I _show _you some things, rather than tell you," I reminded my friend.

The rest of the ride was silent, and I couldn't help but smile as I saw that Derek, Erik, and Heather were gone. Probably went to get dinner for tonight. "Heather and my brothers went into town; we have about a half hour."

Casey followed me up to my room after putting the horses back in the pen and taking the saddles off. When we reached my room, Casey immediately sat on my bed, Indian-style, as I went to my bookshelf and shoved my two books apart. I silently prayed to my mom and dad as I pressed the hidden button. Stepping back, the bookshelf vanished to reveal my altar of weapons.

Casey looked at my weapons for a moment. I picked my dagger up and admired the blade (and, I admit, my reflection in the metal). "These are my weapons, Case," I stated as I tossed my dagger carelessly in the air. "I've been using them for years." I crossed my arms, my dagger resting beneath my left arm.

"What the hell are you?" she asked, breathless. "Some kind of assassin?"

I knew the question was meant to be sarcastic, but hey, she asked and I was going to answer. "That's _exactly_ what I am Casey."

Casey's eyes grew wide with disbelief. "Look, Em, if you aren't feeling the best, I can take you to a doctor…"

I shook my head and closed my eyes for a moment. It took a few tries, but I _finally _broke through that mental barrier I had constructed, that mental barrier that prevented me from saying the four words that I'd been trying to say for over a decade.

I opened my eyes and looked at Casey square in the eyes as I spoke. "I _am_ an Assassin." I knew she heard the capitalization of the word, "Assassin", you couldn't miss it.


	16. The Easy Way or the Hard Way

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN:**

**The Easy Way or the Hard Way**

The words hung in the air for a moment. There was no taking them back. Casey's already wide eyes went even wider and to ease _some _of the tension in the room, I leaned against my altar of weapons and played a little bit with my dagger.

"Emma!" Casey gasped. "Be careful with that thing!"

I giggled but set the blade back down to appease my friend. "So, are you gonna be okay?" I asked gently.

Casey looked at me, then the weapons, then my tattoo. "_What _did you just say?" she asked again as she ran her hand through her hair.

My brow furrowed. "'So are you gonna be okay'?" I repeated.

Casey shook her head. "Not that… before…?"

_Oh._ "I'm an Assassin?" I offered and Casey nodded.

Casey stared at me for a moment, then back at the cover over my bed. I knew this was a lot to take in. "I'll be right back," I said gently and hurried downstairs and grabbed an empty bucket. Heather was in the living room, giving me a look and I shrugged. "Derek is gonna get what's coming to him," I replied and Heather sighed.

"Just don't ruin the floor or walls…" she muttered as she resumed doing whatever she was doing before I came down.

I returned up to my room about three minutes later and Casey remained absolutely still. I walked past Casey and pressed the button on the altar, and within a few seconds, my bookshelf reappeared. Casey _still_ didn't move a muscle. _Okay, now I'm starting to get worried…_ I reach forward and gently jostle her shoulder—only to have her flinch away from my touch.

"Casey?"

She swallowed. "H-How many have you k-killed?"

I took a step back. "About ten, not that many."

Casey looked at me. "Ten people?"

I bit my lip. "No. Ten…Templars. I've killed at least…over ten people," I admitted quietly. Casey shuddered and I stood in front of her. "I'm still the same person you met all those years ago. You just know me a little bit better," I explained.

Before Casey could respond, she looked at me, then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed on my bed. _Shit, shit, shit SHIT!_ Hastily, I moved Casey so her head is on my pillow and I reach into one of my drawers on my table by my bed and pull out some smelling-salts. "Please work," I whimpered as I unplugged the vial and wafted it under Casey's nose.

She groaned a little, but it was blatantly clear that she needed to sleep this one off. I replaced the smelling-salt in my drawer and I grabbed Casey's cell phone from her pocket. Deftly going through her contacts, I found her mom's work number and I dialed it quickly. Casey's mom answered on the third ring.

"_Hello, this is Margaret Thrones, how can I help you_?"

I bit my lip again. "Um… Mrs. Thrones? It's Emma Hale," I said as I looked at Casey.

"_Oh! Emma! How're you doing?! Casey said that you were being homeschooled now—wait, you came up under Casey's cell number… is she there_?" Margaret asked.

I ran my hand through my hair (a habit I picked up on when I was stressed) "Yeah, she is. Is it okay if she spends the night here? We were riding the horses again and Spirit decided to make Casey and I chase him. Casey just crashed in my room."

I heard Margaret tapping her keyboard with something—a pencil? "_I see no problem with it. I can stop by and drop her clothes off? Did she bring her homework?_"

I nodded, even though Mrs. Thrones would never see it. "I can check for you, and don't worry about the clothes. Casey and I are about the same size." I walked back over to Casey and pulled her eyelid back. Yep, she's out for a while.

"_Sure, Casey can spend the night. Just have her call me before she goes to school, okay?_"

I nodded. "Yeah, I can do that for you. Bye."

"_Bye_!" I hung the phone up and sighed. I sat in the beanbag chair and grabbed my guitar. I played a random song for a while before that started to bore me. I grabbed _Eon: Dragoneye Reborn _again and started reading.

I had to do a mental recap of what had happened so far so I didn't end up rereading pages. I hated it when that happened. I skimmed through a few pages and I remembered instantly. I picked up where I left off and continued reading.

It was scary really. I could relate with this Eon character in so many ways that I found myself rather amused as I read the book. We both had to lie to protect not only ourselves, but the people we cared about. I bookmarked the page I was on, but not before I read one final paragraph.

"'There was a saying that a man's true character was revealed in defeat. I thought it was also revealed in victory.'," I read aloud and I frowned. Shaking my head, I bookmarked the page and replaced it on my bookshelf. I walked back over to Casey and checked her eyes again. Still out cold.

When I was done checking on Casey, I looked at the clock and frowned. It was almost dinner time and my stomach growled quietly. "All right," I grumbled as I walked downstairs and Heather smiled as she saw me.

"Casey upstairs?" she asked as I grabbed the plates and glasses, setting the table.

"Mhm. She's taking a breather. French class is kicking her ass—sorry Heather," I apologized. Heather didn't care that I swore, she just didn't like it when I swore in front of her. Kinda like how Number Four was… I grinned as I remembered her expression. "She's taking a nap right now, major headache," I continued to explain as I returned to the kitchen and grabbed the silverware.

"She's having trouble with her French homework? Isn't she in French 6A?" Heather asked as her brow furrowed.

"Yeah," I sighed as I finished setting the table and I walked over to Heather again and grabbed the food that was done. "What're we having?" I asked as I looked at the main dish.

"Chicken with rice and vegetables." I held in a groan. "I also had to add some mashed potatoes." My eyes lit up and I grinned at my aunt and gasped as she messed up my hair. "Thought you might like that."

The boys returned to the house when Heather called that dinner was done and it was like any other night. We talked about our day (I had everyone laughing when I told them about how I had scared a girl when she saw me on the roof during patrols).

"Geez! Emma's insane, we all get it," Erik grinned as he stabbed his piece of chicken. "But she's not suicidal!" I flung a spoonful of potatoes at Erik and it hit him in the face.

"Kill!" I grinned as I saw Derek move and before I could get away, he was holding me down and Erik stalked over, Heather was shaking her head at what was about to unfold. I tried getting my teeth around Derek's hands but he kept them out of my grasp this time.

"Oh," Erik said playfully as he picked up the bowl filled with gravy and my eyes widened, "you _really _shouldn't have done that…_cousin_." Erik _never _referred to Derek or I as 'cousin' unless he was going to do something to one of us that could either threaten his own life…or his relationship with us.

I squirmed harder as Erik pulled the front collar of my shirt forward and dumped half of the gravy on my head, then down the front of my shirt. "Erik!" I screeched as he set the now empty bowl down and crossed his arms.

"I feel rather triumphant," Erik boasted as I started shaking with rage.

"Dude, are you gonna run now or risk not waking up tomorrow?" Derek asked rather calmly, as if he wasn't holding a pissed off little sister who knew how to make a simple utensils (like a spoon) into a lethal weapon.

Without speaking, Erik bolted and Derek counted to five before he released me and I grabbed a fork, sprinting after Erik as fast as I could. "Erik Reynolds, _you are so dead_!" I screamed as he made a mad dash for the woods. However, his stupid logic didn't remind him that he just had some food and he grunted as he rolled to the grass, holding his stomach.

I slowed down and laughed evilly. "Forgot about running on a full stomach hm?" I stalked forward with the same glint that my brother had whenever he was going to pull some prank. "Well…this is what happens when you forget." I picked Erik up by the front of his shirt and dragged him back to the house. Honestly, you'd think they would learn after the first time…

Heather sighed as she grabbed her dinner and went into the living room and I grabbed a random set of keys (tossing the fork into the sink). Dragging Erik around was sorta fun. I shoved him to the ground and vanished into the barn that held our bikes and I grinned when I came across perhaps one of Erik's favorites.

The dark blue 2009 Ducati monster. I directed it outside in plain view of Erik and I leaned against it. "Now," I said as I leaned against the bike and some of the gravy from my head dripped onto the bike, "we can do this the easy way…or the hard way." I flashed the key and Erik's eyes widened.

"Please don't!" he nearly shouted as I rested the rough metal against the sleek paint job. "Don't you realize how much work I put into making that bike usable again?!"

I grinned. "Do you realize how much it costs to get new clothes? Particularly bras in general?" Erik blushed. "So, lemme reiterate. The hard way is you give me your credit card so I can go buy new clothes." I paused as I let Erik weigh that option carefully. "Or _you_ go to the mall and buy me new clothes—and no, no sports bras either." He shuddered slightly as he pictured going back into VS…_alone _this time.

"That's the hard way?!"

I nodded as I applied pressure to the key in my hand. "The easy way is you let me key this bike up." Erik was wide-eyed.

Buying me new clothes didn't cost him a couple thousand dollars like a new paint job did. He seemed to think the same way. "Fine, I'll give you my credit card so you can go get new…clothes." He glared at me as he reached into his back pocket and fished out his card. I plucked it from his grasp and pecked him on the cheek.

"Thanks…_cousin_!"

He started growling curses at me and I rolled my eyes as I directed the bike back into the barn (unscathed). I was about to walk back into the house when Heather didn't let me enter. "Hose off out back."

She tossed me a towel and a new set of clothes. As I hosed off, I kept thinking about what Casey said to me.

"_What the hell are you? Some kind of assassin?"_

I shook my head. I wish I could've told her before…before my dad died. He would've handled this so much better, helped Casey understand. After I was done, I dried off and dressed quickly. I dashed up the stairs and Casey was sitting up, rubbing her head and she looked at me as I closed the door.

"It's just me…don't worry."

Casey nodded once and before I could reach her, she fainted _again_ and I facepalmed. Yeah, she was taking the news _really _well. Sighing, I grabbed a piece of notebook paper and a pen and wrote a note for Casey:

_Casey, I'm in the barn. We can talk more when you are awake and after school…_

I placed the note on the bedside table and grabbed one of my pillows and a spare blanket. It was already late. I walked into the barn and climbed up to the rafters and made myself comfortable in the attic of the barn. Easily, I fell asleep.

What seemed like soon, much too soon, I heard someone shouting.

"EMMA!" Casey shouted and I looked at my cellphone. Six in the morning? Shit, I slept in! I tucked my pillow under my arm and rolled up the blanket. Looking down, I deftly jumped from the attic of the barn to the rafters and landed softly on the balls of my feet, on the solid ground. Casey looked impressed.

"Morning," I greeted.

"M-Morning. Sorry, it's just taking me a while to see you…_like this_!" She gestured to me then the attic and rafters.

I shrugged. "It's okay. I see you found my closet…" I eyed Casey as she was wearing a pair of my light blue jean capri's and one of my favorite tye-dye V-neck hooded shirts.

"It took my nearly twenty minutes just to agree that _this_," she said as she gestured to her clothes, "was acceptable! We need to go shopping again—why do you have Erik's credit card?" I flashed the card in front of Casey.

"You were still out cold for dinner and Erik decided to pour gravy on my head and down my shirt."

"Ooh!" Casey squealed. "A trip to the mall then?!"

"Regrettably."

Casey giggled and she checked her watch. "I gotta go. Are we gonna meet up for lunch?" she looked at me with a hopeful expression and I thought for a moment.

"More than likely. Heather has me running the afternoon patrols. I can spare a few minutes and eat with you. Did you call your mom?" Casey nodded and gave me a quick hug before she darted for her car and sped off, towards the school.

I walked back into the house and showered again, changed, and relaxed until I was needed for patrols.

_/-\_

Again, nothing really happened during afternoon patrols. I hid in an alley as kids from my old school passed by without a second thought and I only came out when I saw Casey waiting at the entrance to the alley. I stepped out, and pulled out the shades that Number Four had left behind and placed them over my eyes as I joined my friend.

"Here, I thought you might need this," Casey said as she handed me a leather coat. I removed my hood and placed the new jacket over my Assassin jacket. It hid the white (and my weapons) pretty well. I had to leave my dagger underneath the dumpster I was hiding behind; there was _no way_ I could hide that.

Casey and I decided to eat at Subway and I kept my meal pretty lite. Casey seemed really relaxed now, now that she knew I didn't kill conspicuously. Hell, if I didn't know any better, I'd say she was _fascinated _by my lifestyle.

After lunch, I waved her goodbye (I gave Casey her jacket back) as I made my way back to the dumpster, retrieved my dagger and replaced it to my leg and finished up patrols. However, I couldn't help myself and I ended back up on the roof from yesterday and I saw the same girl, looking up at me and I looked down at her.

She seemed puzzled again and I couldn't help but snicker. I looked to my right and saw a fire escape and jumped down far enough so that I could actually talk with this girl. She followed me into the alley and I leaned against the railing, looking down at her.

"Hey," I greeted casually.

"Um…hi."

I smirked. "You think I'm nuts don't you?"

The girl shrugged. "Kinda…I mean, it's not everyday that you see someone on the roof of a building, casually sitting on the edge as if it's not a big deal."

I laughed. "Yeah, I get it." I rubbed the back of my head. Again, my vision acted up and the girl was suddenly bright blue-white and I frowned as I shook my head.

"Something wrong?" She tilted her head up at me and I realized she was wearing sunglasses again.

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm fine. So, why were you standing there…were you expecting me to make a return?"

"You did, didn't you?"

"Touchè," I replied as I nodded my head. "It's been nice chatting with you, but I'm needed elsewhere. I'll see you around—well, _I'll _see you. You won't see me though." The girl seemed confused at that and I simply smiled as I started to climb up the ladder.

"Wait!" she said and I stopped, my hands on the ladder. "What's your name?"

I grinned. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah, of course."

I jumped down another level and perched so that I was just above the girl. She looked amazed that I could easily do something like that. I leaned forward and she met me halfway. "So can I." I jumped up and started climbing the fire escape back up to the roof and took off, to finish patrols.


	17. Classic

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:**

**Classic**

Casey and I were standing on the side of the bleachers, watching the annual Classic Invite. At least ten different schools showed up to this thing and this year, my old school was hosting it because they had the stadium and the room for all the parking and students.

I thought that the track meet from a month ago was loud, the crowd now was deafening. "I can't believe you convinced me to go to this stupid thing! I'm supposed to be out on patrols!"

Casey shrugged. "We're just watching this race. That runner that beat Beatrice is running in it and you seemed pretty interested in her when her school raced ours back in September." I looked at my friend. "You think I don't see what goes on? Geez!"

"And yet you couldn't see the lies I told you and Tanner—speaking of Tanner, have you heard from him at all?"

Casey nodded. "Yeah, he texts me every now and then. Get this, he said that there's a girl at his new school that looks _almost _like you!"

"Really?"

Casey nodded. "Mhm, he said that he almost said, 'Hey, Emma! I didn't know that you moved out to California!'. But he looked at her once and said that it wasn't you." Casey giggled. "I think you really wounded his pride when you rejected him."

"He asked me out on a date while at my father's funeral!" I replied tersely and Casey snickered.

"Look, I'm gonna go find us some seats. Near the exit or…?"

I rolled my eyes. "Anywhere is fine." Casey left me alone and I kept scanning the crowd (occasionally my vision would act weird and a couple of headaches pounding through my skull).

"Emma!" Coach Brents (the coach for the track team) called and I turned my head towards him. Brents wasn't an Assassin and he wasn't a Templar either. Just an innocent. "I need your help."

I stood up from leaning against the side of the bleachers. "What's wrong Coach?" I asked.

"Jackie sprained her ankle just now and I need an alternate."

My brow furrowed. "Coach, I'm not part of the team and I'm homeschooled, remember?"

Brents ran his hand through his short blonde hair. "I know, I know. But Harter speaks nothing but praises of you and I saw you standing here looking rather bored. What d'you say?" His tone was pleading.

_If I race, I risk exposing my true nature to everyone…if I don't…then the track team loses if that runner from Queens is here…_

I shrugged. "I suppose what the officials don't know, won't hurt them," I grinned.

Coach Brents grinned. "All right here's all you need to know. No cheating, stay in your lane, and you can't use your hand to touch the ribbon at the end of the race, got it?" He counted off the rules on his hand.

"Yeah," I crossed my arms. "Don't cheat." _Don't show off too much…_ I reminded myself. Brents seemed pleased and handed me a track uniform and I went to the locker room to change. Casey looked at me with complete disbelief from the steps to the bleachers.

"What're you doing?!" she hissed as she followed me to the locker room.

"Racing, what else?" I replied. "I've been a good little Assassin for eleven friggin' years, it's about damn time I have some fun with my abilities!"

Casey facepalmed. "Didn't you say that you had to 'hide in plain sight'? This is the opposite of blending in!" She hissed.

"O ye, of little faith," I replied and went into the locker room and Casey followed. "Look, I'll race, head straight for the locker room and slide out the back door, no one will even know that _I _was the one running."

Casey rolled her eyes. "I'm new to this whole 'Assassin Brotherhood/Order' thing, but won't _that_," she said as she pointed to my tattoo, "make some people suspicious?"

I looked down at my finger. "Have a Band-Aid?" Casey tossed me one and I thanked her.

After I had changed into my old school's black and white tank top and the black and white running shorts, Casey pinned my number to my front. I looked down and frowned. Number four. _Oh how ironic. _"Remember what Brents said: stay in your lane and don't trip the others," Casey reminded me.

I scoffed as I bent down and tied my shoes. "I don't need to cheat to win."

"True. I'm gonna go get some water for you for after the race. I'll have the clothes in the locker room ready for you. Just don't draw _too much_ attention to yourself," Casey stated absently.

"_Please_. I'm not _that _reckless." Casey shook her head as Brents came back and smiled at me. "What's up?"

"I'd like you to meet the runner that's always winning these kinda races."

I shrugged and followed Brents to the Queens High School track team. A few of the girls could care less about me, while others glared as they took me in. I had the build of a runner. The toned arms, legs, slender, lithe frame...

"Brents!" a middle-aged woman with short, dark-colored hair shouted. Brents led me towards the woman. "Sam!" The woman shouted at a girl and I narrowed my eyes. It was the same runner from back in September.

"Hey Pierce." Brents smiled as he shook the woman's hand. "This is Jackie's alternate—."

"Em," I cut him off quickly. "Just Em."

"'M'?" The girl, Sam, asked.

"Em. E-M." Sam nodded and crossed her arms. I was instantly drawn to the twin tattoos on her arms. "Nice art. Where'd you get it done?" I asked. The design was familiar to me. _Too _familiar.

Sam shrugged. "Not sure." She rubbed the back of her head. "So, you're the alternate? Never seen you at the meets we've had here."

"Yeah, Jackie was Beatrice's alternate, so I'm Jackie's. I don't practice with the team. I just run four or five miles at home," I explained. It was the truth, after all.

"Wow, that's something." Sam muttered as I shook my head and crossed my arms. Thankfully, Casey had given me a bandage to cover my left ring finger up. "Burn yourself in chemistry?" Sam asked.

I smirked. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Isn't this just wonderful? Two competitors getting along!" The woman, Pierce, smiled as she patted Sam on the shoulder. "That's a rare sight!"

"Yeah," I replied dryly, "just perfect." Sam narrowed her eyes at me and I shrugged. "I'm naturally competitive."

Before Sam could reply, Brents shoved the two of us towards the start of the race. I was discreetly looking at Sam, trying to find _anything _that would hint to me that she was what I was. But in reality, I was just sizing up the competition.

Sam smiled as we walked to our lanes (which were right next to each other). "Just a heads up, Em," Sam said as she looked at me. "I hate to lose."

I smirked as I pulled my hair back. "Well then, you're _really_ gonna hate me."

"How so?" Sam asked innocently.

I shook my head as I crouched down and adjusted the starting block. A few other girls were practicing their take offs and I rolled my eyes at them. I brought my eyes back up to Sam, who looked rather confused. "Because I have _every_ intention of winning."

"_Someone's _confident."

I shook my head. "Unlike Beatrice, I don't need to trip you in order to win."

Sam snorted as she crossed her arms. "Let's make this interesting then, hm? If you win, you have bragging rights. If I win, you shut your mouth?"

I smirked. "The last time I made a bet, I lost. And the outcome wasn't exactly pleasant. So no, I won't take the bet."

Sam shrugged as she stretched out her legs and I watched her closely without actually looking at her. I was watching her breathing, her movements. They didn't seem robotic, like you would see if someone was nervous or unsure of what they were doing.

"Racers to your places!" the announcer shouted. The crowd fell silent. I stood in front of the starting block and closed my eyes, trying to find the balance in my own mind. When I opened my eyes again, the world was a blue haze, and I blinked again, confused as to why my vision kept acting weird. The headaches still made an appearance, but it wasn't as often. "Take your mark!" At the same time, everyone lowered down into their starting position. I rested my hands behind the white line. I closed my eyes and pictured a Templar in front of me, running away. The official, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, fired the blank round.

I took off instantly, my mind entirely focused on catching the non-existent Templar. I knew that the other runners were far behind; I was already rounding the second corner. But I felt someone to my left, so I turned my head slightly and I clenched my teeth. Sam was _right there_. "Can't you take a hint?" I growled as she passed me slightly. I leaned forward, and the non-existent Templar was within arms reach. "Obviously not!"

Sam's strange eyes widened as she looked at me, and I thought I saw a spark of _something_ in her eyes. "Finally," she breathed as she matched my pace, "a challenge!"

I snorted as we rounded the third corner. "Is that all you want?" I said in a sarcastic tone. "A playmate?" Sam rolled her eyes. After we rounded the fourth corner, I passed her without a second thought. "Enjoy the view!" I taunted as I put some distance between us and the crowd from my school was cheering madly. Even the track team was jumping up and down as I passed them.

"You know," Sam said as she matched me again (I swore under my breath as she did), "I was getting bored with all these runners. I was starting to play with them, give them false hope and all that."

I shook my head. "And I'm not special enough?"

Sam laughed and I focused. I felt a bead of sweat trickling from my forehead and down the side of my face. I looked at Sam, whose face was starting to get red. She obviously meant what she said about finding a challenge in me. "Oh, you're special…" she answered after we rounded the second corner. "I'll have to thank you for this challenge after I win."

"_If _you win."

Sam shook her head and lap three began relatively quickly. I was getting sick of her matching me. "You know what?" I commented as we were running evenly again. The schools were nearly to the point of rioting. "If you're not gonna give it your all, then you're just wasting my time by doing this."

Sam had slowed down enough to give me a good amount of distance between us. "Fuck!" she snarled as I heard her panting and trying to catch up.

"Easily distracted?" I replied as she _finally _caught up to me on the third corner. I lapped Mindy Shaw (a sophomore runner for my school) and Sam looked at me as if I was a gazelle and she was a lion or something. "Are you stalking me?" I asked.

"No, just sizing you up as competition for next year."

I didn't answer that; I'd rather not reveal to her that I was, in fact, a senior (and that I was homeschooled). The fourth lap started and Sam coughed once. "I think we need to give these guys a good show, Em." Sam motioned with her head to the crowd and I looked at her.

"Nah," I answered. "Enjoy the show I'm about to give you." Again, I took off like a bat outta hell, and I smiled as I felt my legs _burning_ and my lungs aching from the amount of energy spent on this _one_ _race_. Sure, it was only a mile, and I sprinted through my morning run some days, but the fact that I was competing was pushing me to do my best.

Sam and I were head-to-head in the last stretch. She leaned forward, gaining ground. I did the same. At the last second, Sam made a leap for the finish. We, for that second, were neck-in neck, and as soon as one of us hit the finish ribbon, she collapsed in exhaustion. She rolled to her feet, her face flushed from the race, and I stood there, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "Nice try," I grinned, holding the ribbon.

Sam had run her hand over her face to get rid of the sweat and crossed her arms. "I can honestly say I enjoyed that race. Haven't had any good competition for a _long_ time…" Someone walked over and handed her a water bottle.

Casey walked next to me and handed me the newly purchased water. "Way to go! You should've seen Erik! He was going ballistic! His face was pricless! He was like, 'what the hell is she doing?!'!"

I snickered and looked up at the stands and saw Erik glaring at me, his arms crossed over his chest, but a evil grin on his face. "In a good way or bad way?"

"Both."

"Erik?" Sam asked, making me turn my head.

"My half-brother—."

I was cut off by someone shoving me forward and Sam had to catch me so that I wouldn't hit the ground. "Are you okay?" she asked as I straightened out and spun to face whoever shoved me when I was blinded by a flash of light.

"How'd you do it?" a student asked as he shoved a recorder in my face. I slapped it away instinctively. Casey was being pushed back by the swarm of students from the schools, most of them reporters.

"W-What?" I asked, thoroughly confused.

Another student swarmed Sam. "Are you upset that you lost?" His question was directed at Sam, who somehow remained calm.

"Of course not! I'm glad that I finally found a challenge!"

"Are you gonna demand a rematch?!" a third student asked her.

I didn't hear what Sam had said, but my mind was starting to get fuzzy and my vision blurry, and my stomach began to lurch. I shook my head and I felt someone shaking my shoulder. Opening my eyes, I saw Sam giving me a concerned look and shook her hand off of my shoulder. The cameras still went off in my face and I growled insults under my breath. I saw Sam's lips move, but I didn't hear what she was saying. I closed my eyes for a moment.

_I've never drawn so much attention to myself…_

_Hide in plain sight…_

_We must be seen…yet unseen…_

Snapping my eyes open, I glared at the swarm of reporters. "Get the hell out of my way!" I snarled as the students took a step back and I made my way through the sea of students with relative ease. Casey was there, holding a spare jacket out and I grabbed it as I wrapped it around my body. I turned my head to see Sam making her way through the crowd to catch up to me.

I walked into the locker room and I was glad to rip the track uniform from my body. "Never again," I growled as I tossed the clothes into the bin. I rinsed off quickly and grabbed a spare towel that was always on hand for anyone. I dressed as fast as I could.

"Anyone in here?" Sam called and I froze. Sam walked in and turned her head to see me. "There you are!"

I swallowed and crossed my arms, my left hand hidden beneath my right arm. "I'm not exactly one for pictures," I grumbled. "Never have been."

"I figured that." Sam rubbed the back of her head. "I actually wanted to say thanks."

I raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Sam laughed nervously. "I was starting to get bored with all the easy competition from the other schools. I thought you were just another runner that was all talk and no show."

I snorted, "Yeah? Well you were sadly mistaken."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, I guess I was. But don't think next year I'm gonna take it so easy on you—."

I put a hand up to cut her off. "I'm a senior. I graduate this year. You won't have to worry about me stealing your thunder." The entire phrase was true, for once.

Sam's eyes were wide and I frowned again. _Where do I know her from_? "Really?! I didn't think you were a senior. I mean, the way you talked and approached me when your coach brought you over to introduce you to me, I thought that you were some overconfident sophomore or something."

I shook my head. "Nah, but I'm glad that you found a challenge in me. Must be hard."

"You have _no_ idea."

I smirked and looked down. "I'll be sure to come back next year and watch. You can count on that."

Sam beamed. "Looking forward to it." She and I stood there, the awkwardness was thick and I cleared my throat. "I think you better get back out there. I was just an alternate. It's not like I broke any records or anything."

Sam looked back at the door and that gave me my chance. I slipped away, through the other exit and Casey met up with me at the car. "Wow, I still can't believe you ran _that _fast. Any faster and you would've beaten the school record!"

I facepalmed. "Thank God that I didn't go any faster then." Casey laughed as we walked to the car and handed me the keys.

"Heather's gonna _flip_ when she finds out what you did!"

_Oh shit…_

"Oh I almost forgot!" Casey exclaimed as she handed me my phone. "Some girl named Lilly called. Said she was gonna be in town for a few days and wanted to catch up with you. She like you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "If you're hinting at: is she an Assassin like me? Then yes, she is. She's not a Master, but she's damn close to being one."

"How hard did you have to train to be a Master Assassin at your age?" Casey asked.

I grinned. "I'll tell you how I obtained my rank some other time." I dialed Lilly's number and put the phone up to my ear.


	18. Every Choice Has a Consequence

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:**

**Every Choice Has a Consequence**

"Are you _sure _you can't help me with my French homework?" Casey groaned as she rubbed her forehead. "This translation is nearly impossible!"

I snickered as I finished up my math assignment. "Sorry Case. Lo solo parlo inglese e italiano (I only speak English and Italian)." I tapped my chin with my pencil as I looked at the next math problem. "I think Heather is pretty good with French. You should ask her."

Casey groaned again. "Why did your dad and aunt make you take _It__alian_ instead of _French_?!"

"It was _my _choice to learn Italian," I reminded my friend.

I found it rather funny at how _easy _it was to live a normal life after I had told Casey my secret. Heather and Derek didn't know—Erik was aware, but he was wisely keeping his mouth shut on the matter.

Casey had pulled out her Literature homework and I stole a glance at the cover of the book that her class must've started reading.

"_Seriously_?" I said as I looked at the cover and Casey looked up at me. "You're reading _Anthem _by Ayn Rand?"

Casey sighed. "I'm not happy about it either. This book is too damn confusing, and the main character is just… blah!" I rolled my eyes as I got off of my bed and walked over to my desk. "What're you doing, Em?" Casey asked as I fished around for something.

I grinned when I found it. "Here," I said as I tossed her my report on _Anthem_. "It has the entire book summary, some vocabulary, and a few bits of information that got me an 'A' for the semester." I crossed my arms. "But you _might _want to change up a few sentences and remove my name from the paper."

Casey frowned as she flipped through the report and her eyes widened. "Isn't this considered cheating?"

I had to smile at the response I had. "Isn't what I do," I began as I gestured to my bookshelf, "considered murder?"

Casey laughed nervously. "Touché." She flipped through the report and started lightly drawing lines through certain phrases. I returned to my Math assignment as I turned on my iPod and started playing some music.

A while later (like, ten minutes later), Casey cleared her throat for a moment. "Can I ask you a question, Em?" I looked up from my work and lowered the volume.

"Sure."

Casey rubbed the back of her head. "Does Derek and Heather know that I know?"

"No," I said as I stood up and closed my closet, effectively cutting off Casey's view of my Assassin jackets (all three of them). "Erik does though."

Casey looked at me. "Why hasn't he said anything to Derek or Heather? I-I mean… you said yourself that it's not safe for me to know what you are."

I sighed. "I wasn't lying about it being dangerous for you to know what I am." I rubbed my forehead, trying to think. "Erik hasn't said anything to my brother or my aunt because he knows better. This is_my _fault. I was careless, and I have to live with the consequences."

"Oh," Casey murmured as she returned to her work. I followed suit and smirked as I remembered when I came home from the track meet yesterday.

_Casey and I walked into the front door, and within a few short seconds Heather was basically shoving me out the door, away from Casey so we could "talk" about my disregard for the Creed._

_"Emma!" Heather seethed as she tossed me forward. "What the hell were you thinking?! Erik just called me and told me what you did!"_

_I straightened out and grinned. "I was thinking that it was about damned time I had some fun with my abilities!"_

_Heather was an angry red. "Are you insane? Casey could've caught on!"_

_I rolled my eyes. "Look, I _promise _that I'll never be that_ _reckless again."_

_Heather's eyes narrowed. "How_ _careless _were_ you, Emma?"_

_I looked at the ground for a moment as I tried to recall what Casey had told me. "Oh yeah!" I exclaimed. "I _almost _broke the school record for the event that I ran_!"

_Heather's eyes widened, and her jaw hit the ground in disbelief._

"Did you call Lilly?" Casey asked as she finished her French homework.

"Yeah. She should be here soon." I looked at Casey. "You have to remember that you _don't _know _anything_ about my secret, all right?"

Casey nodded curtly. "I know that." Casey looked around my room for a moment. "When did you two meet?"

I rolled my eyes. "We met my first year at Training Camp. I had a mild case of heatstroke, and Lilly got a nice beat down from one of the older recruits." I shook my head. Orson was such a _dick _back then. Probably still was—unless William _finally _realized that he was getting more injured recruits rather than Master Assassins from him.

"Was she at the funeral?"

I nodded slowly. "That's another thing I forgot to mention. There were _t__wo _funerals. One for the… non-Assassins like you and Tanner, and the second one was for Assassins."

"Was your mom an Assassin?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she was." I looked out my window. "I wish I could go back and see her when she was young... To actually _know _the woman who gave birth to me..." I frowned slightly as I realized that seeing my mom _was _a possibility, if I went into an Animus.

I heard someone pull up the driveway. I walked to my window, and a few minutes later I saw someone walking up to the front porch. "Shit," I muttered as I looked at Casey. "I think Lilly's here." I looked around my room and started searching for any stray throwing knives or anything that would hint at my Assassin heritage.

"I don't see anything besides that tattoo on your finger, Em." I looked down and clenched my hand.

"Pretend that you don't see it. Please?"

Casey's brow furrowed. "Why don't you just cover it up like you did at school?"

I ran my hand through my hair. "Because Lilly knows—fuck, _everyone _in the entire Order knows that I'm a Master Assassin." Casey nodded and proceeded to put her books away. I grabbed my guitar and started playing a random string of notes, trying to calm my nerves.

A few moments later, a figure appeared in my doorway. "Emmy!" Lilly smiled as she walked in. I met her halfway. "I missed you!" I hugged Lilly and pulled back.

"We just saw each other about... what? A week-and-a-half ago?" I replied.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "_Please_." Her eyes suddenly rested on my marked finger. "So it's true then—!" She fell silent when her eyes rested on Casey. "Who's this?" she asked sweetly.

I blushed slightly. "Lilly, this is Casey. Casey, this is Lilly," I introduced my two friends to one another.

Casey smiled as she stood up. "'Emmy'?" Her blue eyes rested on me. I could see the playfulness in them. "Never heard _that _nickname before."

Lilly giggled as she clapped my right shoulder. "I gave it to Emma when we met up at summer camp a few years ago."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because you didn't like 'Emma' or 'Em' for my name," I replied. Lilly shrugged helplessly. "So, how long're you here for?" I asked my Assassin friend.

"About two more days. I would've come sooner, but you were busy." _Y__eah, I was busy having fun._

I rubbed the back of my head and lowered my voice, pretending that I didn't want Casey to hear. "I was on patrols and ran into some Templars. You'd think they'd learn after the first time…" Lilly's green gaze seemed to harden as she looked at me and I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Lilly shook her head. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Hey, Emmy," Casey said. I frowned when I looked at her. "I gotta go. I'll call or text you later?"

Lilly put her hand up. "You don't have to leave just because I'm here."

Casey shook her head. "I don't want to intrude. If you're only here for a few more days, you should spend that time hanging out with Emmy over there."

"You _had _to say my nickname?!" I looked at Lilly (who shrugged again). "I can walk you out to the car, Case," I offered as the two of us walked downstairs.

Casey left with a short farewell, but something seemed to be on her mind. I guessed that she'd wanted to spend more time with me to learn more about the Assassins, but she didn't say a word.

I walked back into the house once Casey had driven away to find Lilly talking with Heather about something unimportant. "Sorry, but I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on making it to Master Assassin status!" Lilly smiled. "Did you kill any Templars during the night?"

I nodded. "Yeah, a woman with really light blonde hair. Put up a hell of a fight though." I rubbed my side—the bruise was started to fade (finally). "I nearly died laughing when she brought out that retractable stick thing though."

Lilly laughed. "Yeah, Abstergo needs to upgrade their arsenal." She looked around for a moment. "So is Casey an Assassin recruit then—?" Heather started choking on the water she was drinking and I pounded on her back as she stopped coughing. "I mean, she is _kinda _old to be one yet."

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't see a tattoo on your arm, leg, back, neck, or finger."

Lilly shrugged. "I'm nearly there. I have to do just a few more missions before Bill thinks I'm ready for it. I just think the old man hates traveling."

I had to laugh at that. It was true: the Mentor _hated _traveling. Personally, I didn't see why he did. Perhaps after Daniel Cross' little betrayal (which led to the near-eradication of the Assassin Brotherhood) he wised up when he became Mentor.

"Come on," I said as I looked at Lilly, "let's go for a ride, or a walk. I want to get caught up on what's going on in your life." Again, Lilly looked at me funny, but I brushed it off.

_/-\_

About an hour later, Lilly and I were walking back to the house when Casey's car came to a screeching halt near the barn. She hopped out and ran to me. "Emma!" she screamed as I ran to meet her.

"What's wrong?!" I said. Casey looked pale, scared… Just _sick_.

With a shaky hand, she did something on her phone and presented it to me. My heart sank into my stomach. In red paint against the white wall in Casey's apartment was a _huge _Templar cross with the message: "Watch your back".

I looked back at Casey with wide eyes. "Casey," I whispered as she looked at me with wild, scared eyes, "I need you to go into the house. Just try to calm down, all right?" My voice was shaking. My worst fears had come true. _But _how _do they know?!_

"What's wrong Em?" Lilly asked as she walked over.

I swallowed, trying to find a way to tell Lilly that I had to go to Casey's apartment and either kill a Templar or send a message explaining that Casey was under Assassin protection. "I-I, uh…"

"Emma!" Heather called. "You have a mission! There was a Templar break-in at an apartment complex!" Color drained from my face. "William just called!" Relief flooded my mind.

"Looks like we have a mission tonight. Care to join me?" I asked Lilly.

"Of course!" Lilly took out her cell and began texting someone. "I just have to let my 'rents know that I'm going out tonight." A few seconds later she was done, and we quickly changed into our gear (Lilly had her stuff in her rented car).

While Lilly was busy with hers, I walked downstairs. Casey was nowhere to be seen. She was probably in the basement. I dialled her number on my phone and she picked up quickly. "Casey I'll see what's going on all right?"

Heather walked in, handing me the message and eyeing me. She _knew _that this was Casey's address. She _knew_ something wasn't right with this.

"_All right… You were right, Em. I should've listened to you in that alley!_"

I sighed. "It's done and over with. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you and your family—." I heard Lilly making her way down the stairs. "I gotta go. Bye."

Casey hung up without another word. Lilly smiled at me as I hung up my own phone. Lilly wore the traditional grey hooded jacket with the beaked hood. I tried to remember if she only had one hidden blade (I was given two because I was skilled with double hidden blades at a young age). "Ready!" she declared.

I nodded, and we made our way to my bike. Lilly stopped and looked at the bike, then to me. "Are you sure we can't take the car?"

I nodded. "The location is an hour away, and the bikes are faster." Lilly nodded in response. After we'd mounted the bike and jammed the helmets on, we were speeding along the highway. Lilly's grip tightened around my torso as we increased speed. I rolled my eyes. _Amateur_.

I made the choice to tell Casey about me. Now I was paying the price for that choice.


	19. Pick Your Battles Wisely

**CHAPTER NINETEEN:**

**Pick Your Battles Wisely**

When we arrived outside of Casey's apartment building, I had told Lilly to sneak in through Casey's window, while I entered through the front door—yeah I like to take the dangerous routes. When I reached the third floor, I made my way down the hall and stopped at room 23D. I checked the lock and found it unlocked. "Thanks, Case," I whispered. This made my life ten-times easier.

Eerily enough, the front door opened with a slight creaking noise as I twisted the knob and pushed it open. I could feel my heart seizing up as the door opened further and I walked into the apartment. I honestly didn't recognize it. Casey's mom kept it nice and clean, but now, now it looked like World War III had struck here and only here!

As I investigated the entryway for any signs of forced entry, I heard a thud in the back and, before I could go and investigate, Lilly poked her head out of Casey's room and waved at me, signaling to me that it was her who made the noise. Nodding once, I checked the kitchen, then I made my way to the living room and sure as hell, the Templar Cross was still there with the writing.

"About damned time you showed up, Assassin," the figure sitting in the recliner growled. "I was getting sick and tired of waiting for you." I froze and glared at the figure. The hooded figure stood up and brushed their shoulders off. Immediately, I knew it was a woman that we were facing, the voice and the bump on the chest was another giveaway.

I flicked my right wrist and clenched my left hand into a fist. "What d'you suggest, Em?" Lilly whispered lowly as she came up behind me and stood on my right side. I watched the Templar closely and I realized that this Templar was a recruit, therefore, little to no experience fighting Assassin's (the lack of Abstergo's own twisted version of a hidden blade was noticeably absent)!

"Stall," I hissed and Lilly nodded.

I stood up and retracted my blade. "I didn't think the Templars sent out recruits—at least alone." The Templar frowned under her hood. "D'you realize how _easy _it is to kill recruits like you? I hardly find any entertainment in the fights." The Templar recruit was starting to get upset and annoyed—more so the latter than the former.

"You wanna fight?" the Templar asked as they threw a punch my way and I ducked. Dropping to the ground, I kicked my leg out and forced the Templar to the ground. She gasped in pain as her head hit the floor and I stood up.

"See?" I taunted the Templar. "Not much of a challenge." I backed off as the Templar stood up and lunged at me again. I moved aside enough and the Templar basically ate drywall. She yelped in pain as she pushed herself away from the wall and ran her hand over her nose and mouth. When she pulled her hand away, I could see that it was covered in blood.

"That's gonna leave a mark," Lilly replied with a smug grin.

I had to smile at her remark. "So," I said to the Templar recruit, "how long're you gonna keep this pathetic game up? If you wanted to prove how tough you were to the Inner Circle in Rome, you should've just called and said: 'Can I borrow a few Assassins and pretend to beat them up so I look good for the Order'?" I crossed my arms.

The recruit unleashed a dagger and leapt at me. As she brought her dagger up at my face, I bent back, Matrix-style and as the dagger was about to be brought back for a second attempt, I flicked my left wrist and jammed it into the Templars shoulder.

She howled in agony and I removed the blade and glared at the recruit. "Had enough yet?" I growled. The Templar was panting in pain as she brought her left hand up to stop the bleeding in her right shoulder. My hidden blade retracted underneath my sleeve.

"Not in a million years," she panted as she lunged at me and connected a fist to my jaw. I cursed profusely as we wrestled and I felt my dagger being removed from its sheathe. "I'm going to enjoy killing you…" My eyes widened as my dagger was removed and being brought down, to strike my heart.

"Get away from her!" I heard Lilly shout and the Templar above me gasped in pain as my friend tackled her to the other side of the room. I heard my dagger clatter to the ground. A few seconds of hastily searching, I found my dagger resting next to me and I quickly replaced it to my being.

Jumping to my feet quickly, I raced over to Lilly and separated the two girls before either was seriously hurt. Lilly took a few steps back and wiped her lip (which was bleeding from a small split) while I grabbed the Templar recruit by the front of her jacket and shoved her against the wall so hard that some of the pictures in the living room shook from the impact.

"Try that stunt again and I _will_ kill you." I flicked my wrist again and I pressed it against her throat, only to be blinded by a sudden smoke bomb going off.

My grip on the Templar recruit loosened and I coughed for a few moments. When the smoke cleared, the Templar was gone and Lilly and I were left alone. "Where the fuck did she get a smoke bomb?" I asked Lilly as my coughs subsided for a moment.

She coughed for a moment longer. "I don't know, but…" She coughed again. "It was a pretty good trick!"

I coughed again and looked around. "We should clean this mess up before the owners get home. No need to have the police involved." I looked at her lip. "You need to get that lip checked out too."

"Agreed," Lilly muttered as I grabbed a wash cloth and started scrubbing the red paint off of the wall. Lilly was busy cleaning up the kitchen and part of the living room. "It's just a scratch," Lilly said as she picked up the chairs and put them in an upright position.

When I finished the wall, I helped Lilly with the rest of the apartment. We finished in record time and I lowered my hood for a moment to wipe the sweat from my forehead. "Never again," I muttered.

"No kidding," Lilly replied as she checked her phone again. "I gotta go, Em. My mom just texted me and wants me back at the hotel room. I'll go see the doctor before I head back to Chicago." I nodded and Lilly took off again (hailing a taxi this time).

_/-\_

I walked into the house and rested my head against the door. _Oh great, now I have to explain why it was Casey's address that I was sent to…_ I wanted to at least change out of my Assassin gear, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I wasn't going to be given the chance to.

"Emma," Heather said and I looked to where her voice came from. She was in the living room, reading. "We need to talk." She set her book down and stood up, crossing her arms as her eyes narrowed at me.

I nodded and hoped that Casey would stay downstairs long enough for me to explain myself. "Yeah?" I said as I unzipped my jacket and lowered my hood.

"That address was _Casey's _address. Why her home Emma?" Heather raised an eyebrow and my vision (again for some unknown reason) acted weird. "The Templars shouldn't even _know_ about her address—much less care."

I swallowed and looked around, and then I looked at my aunt again. I felt small at the moment, as if I was a lowly recruit again, facing Master Orson. "Casey knows about me—I showed her actually," I muttered as I looked at Heather. "She's known about me—us—since the day after my birthday." Heather's eyes were wide.

"You _what_?!" Heather hissed as she stood up. "Don't you realize the danger you've put her in?!"

I snapped my head up and glared at my aunt. "I _know_ the danger I've put her in! That mission I just came from proved it! I'll think of something, but for now, Casey needs to stay with us until we can figure this out—her parents should be safe, considering they have no idea about me."

Heather was still visibly mad. "Keep it that way, Emma." I nodded once. "Erik is with Casey, he obviously knows that you blew your cover?"

I nodded again. "He's been keeping his mouth shut. I'll tell Derek when I have the chance all right?" Heather nodded.

"What about that Templar, Emma?" Heather asked as she leaned against the back of the couch.

I removed my jacket and tossed it over my shoulder. "It was a recruit," I stated. "Annoying as hell to deal with. I almost had my blade through her throat, but the bastard used a smoke bomb and slipped out of my grasp." Heather pursed her lips. "I'll go after her tomorrow—."

Heather shook her head. "I've given you the day off, seeing as how Casey is going to need someone to be there for her and _explain _everything."

I rolled my eyes as I removed my dagger from my leg. "Fine, I'll tell her what I can." I removed my hidden blades and poked my head down the stairs. "I'm home!" I called down.

When I had washed up and my weapons (and jacket) were put away, Casey joined me in my room. "So," she said as she looked at me, "did you take care of the intruder?"

I nodded. "Kinda, she got away though."

Casey's brow furrowed. "B-But there were _two _of you there. Why didn't Lilly just kill the intruder?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, just didn't." I stretched my shoulder out and winced slightly. Casey frowned at my response.

Casey narrowed her eyes at me. "Are you gonna tell me what happened with your shoulder?"

I opened my mouth to reply when I heard Heather call up to us. "Dinner's ready!" she shouted.

"After dinner—maybe tomorrow. I have off," I smiled and Casey rolled her eyes at me. I nearly was tackled to the ground as Derek decided to wrestle his way down the steps (which ended up with me pounding on his back as he carried me down the steps again).

After dinner, I had called Casey's mom again and (somehow) I was able to persuade her to let Casey spend the night again (but I had to run into the city to get Casey's clothes, seeing as how Casey was still shaken up from the break-in).

"How is my mom _not _freaking out about the apartment?!" she asked me when I handed her, her belongings.

I grinned sheepishly. "Lilly and I cleaned up your apartment before we left. We didn't want your mom to get the police involved, seeing as how I don't exactly follow the law."

Casey nodded as she set her things in the spare bedroom that was across from my room. "Oh, thanks, Em." Again, Casey seemed to have something that she wanted to ask me, but it must've not been important enough to ask me.

_/-\_

Casey and I were enjoying lunch at the local café (I had off today) when a man with sleek pale blonde hair and shades, wearing a suit with the silver Assassin necklace approached us. "Miss Hale," he said in a formal tone. I looked up from my salad and glared at him.

"Harrison," I replied darkly. "What do you want?" Casey was busy digging into her lunch.

Harrison was one of the 'bodyguards' for the Mentor. "William would like to speak with you and your friend."

I rolled my eyes. "Tell William I'll take a rain-check—." Suddenly, I was surrounded by men and women in suits. "Fine, I'll talk to the dickhead." Harrison escorted Casey and I to a black 2011 Mercedes Benz with tinted black windows.

Harrison opened up the back door on the driver's side and I slid in, while a woman with black hair (that was tightly pulled back into a bun) opened up the door on the passenger's side door for Casey. She slid in and looked at me nervously.

"What's going on, Em?" Casey asked quietly as Harrison and the woman got into the car.

I shrugged. "William wants to have a chat with me, and you incidentally." Harrison looked at me through the rearview mirror and the woman looked at me as she turned her head slightly over her shoulder. "Take a picture, it'll last longer," I replied darkly and the woman just returned her gaze to the road in front of her.

"What about my classes?" Casey whispered. I may have been off from patrols, but Casey still had school.

The woman sniffed disdainfully. "Your classes, Miss Thrones, are taken care of," the woman said as she took out her phone and pressed a few buttons with a pen. "I've called you in sick." I clenched my jaw tightly, trying to stop myself from spitting insults left and right.

We arrived at the Headquarters and Harrison escorted us to William Miles' office. "Good luck, Master Hale," Harrison replied snidely and I glared at him as I walked in.

"Miss Hale and Miss Thrones, so nice of you to join me," William's monotone voice greeted us. Casey was frozen on the spot and I crossed my arms as I looked at the old man.

"Cut to the chase, William, I know I'm in trouble, just rip my title away from me and get it over with!" I muttered.

William glared at me. "How I wish I could do that, but, I can't. You didn't break the Tenets." He moved some papers around. "However, I suggest you pick your battles wisely, Miss Hale. This little slip of the tongue is going to cost you and it's going to affect your friend here."

"How so?" I asked as Casey stood slightly behind me.

William folded his hands together in front of him. "I'd rather talk about your options in private, your friend, Miss Thrones, seems rather shaken up."

I snorted, "Yeah, being taken by a bunch of strange men and women to a Headquarters to face the Mentor of the Assassin Brotherhood does tend to shake someone up." William narrowed his brown eyes at me.

William pressed a button on a communicator. "Harrison, please escort Miss Thrones from my office, I'd like to talk with Miss Hale, alone."

"_10-4 sir_." The link went dead and the door opened. "Miss Thrones." Harrison moved aside and gestured with his arm.

"I'll be out as quickly as I can," I whispered and Casey nodded.

After Casey had been escorted back to the car, William cleared his throat and looked at me. "You understand the choice?" he asked.

"She either joins or she forgets about ever knowing me."

William nodded. "So," he said tauntingly, "what have you decided?" _This is the worst punishment you could think up, old man!_

I looked down as I thought about my options. I either make Casey become an Assassin, or I force her to forget that she ever knew me. I looked up at William again. "I'll take her on as my Apprentice."

William nodded as he looked at me. He rubbed his chin and shook his head. "She's not coming back, Emma. Number Four is gone, you need to accept that." _That bastard…can he read my mind?!_

I frowned as I crossed my arms. "I'm not going to accept it until I see her body."

William rubbed his beard. "You hold onto this inane idea that you'll find her. You've searched everywhere possible in New York City. Why won't you give up?"

I felt my hands clench. "Because my father never gave up on finding Desmond!" I retorted and William's eyes widened. "It's not in my blood to give up so easily. I will spend the rest of my life searching for her if that's what it takes!"

William leaned forward. "You hold too much faith in this one Assassin, Emma."

I was starting to breathe heavily. "Well," I began darkly, "at least _someone _had faith in me. I was seven-years-old when I met her, William; seven-years-old and just a beginner. She believed in me when I was _n__othing_!" I spread my arms wide and flashed my tattoo. "But look at me now, William. I'm a fucking Master Assassin at the age of eighteen! Who else can say that, huh?" William didn't say a word. "Name _one _Assassin—_any _Assassin that can say the same thing and I'll stop searching for Number Four." Again, William remained quiet. "Thought so," I replied in a quieter voice.

William moved some papers around. "You became the Assassin you are, because of her?"

I nodded slowly. "I'm not finding her for you, _Mentor_," I growled the title. "I'm finding her so that she can keep her promise—I'm finding her because it's the right thing to do."

William leaned back. "Oh? And what 'promise' would that be, hm?"

I glared at him. "She promised me a fight. She wouldn't go back on that promise."

William scoffed, "You don't even know her. She probably said that to make you feel better—."

"And _you _do? As far as I'm concerned, you don't even bother to learn the names of the other Assassin's. The only reason why you know my name, my aunt's name, my brother's name, and my cousin's name, is because you were close to my father!" I was shaking in rage. "I only met Number Four for a few _hours _and I felt as though I knew her longer than that!"

William stood up. "Now you watch your mouth Miss Hale—."

"Emma!" I nearly shouted. "Godammit! My name is _Emma_! Not 'Miss Hale'!" I took a breath. "If you must, call me Master Hale! Call me by a title that I earned, a title that wasn't _handed_ to me!" The role of 'Mentor' was basically handed to William on a silver-platter and I _hated _him for it. My father would've been better!

I saw William clench his hand and I challenged him with my glare. "You gonna hit me, old man?" William was red. "If you hit me, I hit back, _hard_. Creed or no Creed, I _will _hit back; I don't give a damn about your title." William was still red as he sat back down and rubbed his forehead.

"The youth of today…" he said absently.

I snorted, "Yeah, we're a stubborn bunch."

William sighed. "I'll contact you if I need you—."

I glared at him. "I'm not your lapdog."

William looked up at me and the hatred for me was evident—well not hatred, just absolute loathsomeness for having the gall to stand up to him.

"Get. Out," he growled and I had to smirk at the satisfaction of hearing the anger I brought him. "Don't forget what you have decided."

I walked forward and leaned my hands on his desk. "Gladly," I replied in a colder tone. I spun on my heel. "Don't worry, I won't forget my deal." I glared one more time at him, walked out of his office, and to the car. Casey seemed rather shaken up a little bit, but she looked okay, regardless.

"So…what now?" she asked nervously as I slid into the car and Harrison took off towards my home.

I ran my hand through my hair a once as I looked at her. "How do you feel about becoming an Assassin?" I asked.

Casey's eyes widened as the words left my mouth.


	20. Canadian, Eh?

**CHAPTER TWENTY:**

**Canadian, Eh!**

It was Friday, the end of the week and start of the weekend. Most people would be looking forward to it; hanging out with friends, going to parties, perhaps going out-of-town for the weekend or visiting family or friends from out-of-state. Me? I would be spending the entire day Saturday, sitting in front of monitors, watching my best friend as she went into an Animus.

I rubbed my forehead as I remembered my conversation with Rebecca Crane.

_"All right Emma, all you need to do is keep it running, make sure it doesn't overheat, and make sure—this is very important—you need to make sure that Casey is stable mentally and physically."_

_My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"_

_Rebecca handed me a folder. "Subjects that are unstable while in the Animus—or are in it for long periods of time—suffer from a side effect that we call the Bleeding Effect. It's strange, almost like you slowly become that ancestor."_

_I nodded. "Just keep her calm and don't expose her to long periods of time while in the Animus. Just _how _long can she be in the Animus at a time?"_

_Rebecca rubbed the back of her head. "Three to four hours with a break every now and then. Oh! _Do not_, under any circumstance, pull her out while a memory is loading or while one is just about to end. There could be… unpleasant consequences."_

_I nodded. "I'll be careful."_

_Rebecca nodded too. "I'm going to be heading for Italy soon, so you'll have to go in blind with this. Sorry Em." I grinned. Rebecca was one of my favourite technical Assassins because she was so relaxed and friendly._

_"It's okay. I'll be fine."_

It was a nice day, which was why I was taking a walk in Central Park. There was still a slight nip in the air, prompting me to wear my turquoise Colombia jacket. There were a few kids running around, mostly little kids (they weren't old enough for kindergarten).

Casey was in school yet (obviously). Even this morning, Casey was still beyond shocked at my offer.

_"How would you feel about becoming an Assassin?" I asked._

_Casey's eyes widened as the words left my mouth. "Seriously?!" I nodded grimly. "W-Why?!"_

_I sighed and wrung my hands together. Harrison was smirking as he drove. I _really _wanted to smack him across the face. "Because the other option is that William makes you forget that you ever knew me."_

_Casey was gaping in disbelief. "B-B-But I haven't said a _word _to _anyone _about you!" She was beginning to hyperventilate. "I don't know how to climb walls or martial arts—or _kill_ for that matter!"_

_I didn't answer right away, opting to take my time for the reply. "I can help you with the climbing walls part," I began slowly. "There's a machine we call the ' Animus'. It allows anyone to relive the genetic memories of their ancestors." I swallowed. "You'll have to go into one if you're gonna learn free-running, I don't have the time to teach you."_

_"And the fighting and killing part?!" Casey screeched._

_I looked at her with apologetic eyes. "_I _can teach you how to fight... and how to kill."_

After walking a little further, I sat underneath a tree and closed my eyes. I just wanted to escape reality for a while. However, I _did_ spend about fifteen minutes walking around, trying to find Number Four again, but there was still no sign of her.

_/-\_

Something bumped the side of my leg and I opened my eyes to see a little girl, about six or seven, with an odd mix of light brown and dark blonde hair standing in front of me. Her eyes were like the grass I was sitting on. I looked at what had bumped into me. It was a ball and no doubt hers, so I picked it up. "This yours?" I asked, getting up into a kneeling position.

"Mhm," the girl said, nodding.

"Le-Le!" I moved my attention from "Le-Le" and saw a girl about four or five running over to us. She had ebony hair and bright grey eyes, and wore jeans and a windbreaker, similar to "Le-Le". When she spotted me, the younger girl hid behind "Le-Le".

"Here," I said as I offered her the ball. "I just want to give it back."

"Le-Le" clasped her hand into the smaller girl's. "Alyssa, she won't hurt us—."

"But momma and daddy said that we should not talk to strangers."

I smiled. "They're right, you shouldn't talk to strangers. I just want to give you the ball back." Alyssa looked at me for a moment before shyly walking up to me and grabbing the ball, scurrying to hide behind "Le-Le" again.

"Thank you," Le-Le said as Alyssa tugged on her hand. "My step-sister wants to go back and play. Thank you, miss."

I smiled. "You're very welcome…?"

"Elaine."

"You're very welcome, Elaine." Elaine smiled at me as she and Alyssa ran off to play catch again.

That made my day, and it helped me forget about tomorrow—almost.

When I returned home, Casey was already at the house. Everyone knew about what I did, they knew that Casey was aware of our little secret, and surprisingly, everyone was (sorta) okay with it.

"Hey sis," Derek greeted me as I took my jacket off. "Heather has an English assignment for you!" His brow furrowed as he walked over.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Derek handed me a sheet of paper. "Remember the murder of one of our own in Chicago a month ago?" I nodded. "They figured it out. It wasn't a Templar."

I looked up at Derek as I finished reading the document. "If not them, then who?" I asked.

Derek grew dark. "An Assassin—."

I snapped my eyes to him and my vision went blue again. "A _traitor_?! There's a fucking _traitor _within the Order?!" I glowered at my brother. "Our dad is dead for two weeks and William doesn't have the sense to assign a new Assassin to his old position?!"

Derek shrugged as I walked up to my room, pissed beyond all reason. _If William thinks that _I _can do my dad's old job, he has another thing coming! _I shoved the paper in my desk drawer and plopped down on my bed. "No wonder the Templars were able to nearly eradicate the Assassin's…" I thought aloud. "Our leadership sucks…"

"Knock, knock." I looked at the door to see Casey standing there. "I hope you don't mind, but I couldn't help but over hear your conversation with Derek. Is a traitor a bad thing?"

I nodded. "_Very _bad. They know the location of nearly all the Assassin headquarters and the homes of Assassin families." Casey's eyes widened. "Even _my_ home."

Casey frowned as she took her phone out. "Hey, have you heard from Tanner at all?"

"No, not since the day before he left. Why? Have you?"

Casey shook her head. "He always texts or calls before and after he goes to school—even on his lunch he calls!"

"Maybe he got busy?" I suggested.

"… Maybe," Casey agreed.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Obviously the tension about a traitor within the Order had _everyone _on edge. I had a feeling Heather would be investing in a new security system (i.e. Derek or I staying up in shifts).

Casey helped me wash and dry dishes with very few words spoken. She was nervous about tomorrow and, in all honesty, so was I. I'd never used an Animus before, and I sure as hell didn't want to go into one anytime soon.

_/-\_

Casey and I woke up early and ate a small breakfast (well, she took two bites of her toast and I just ate three bites from an apple), then headed out to one of our facilities in the city. I tried my best as we drove into the city to reassure Casey that I'd be monitoring her closely, and if she started to show signs of distress, I'd pull her out.

It didn't reassure her.

After arriving at the building, Casey and I walked in and a few people (Assassin recruits and Masters) greeted me plainly. I returned the greeting. They knew Casey was my apprentice; they knew because you had to be at least twenty to take on an apprentice.

"Master Hale," Ian, one of the technical Assassins, greeted me. "The Animus is all set up and ready for you. Do you remember the procedure?"

I nodded. "Draw her blood, get her into the Animus, sit down at the monitors, put the blood into the system, and begin the session." Ian nodded as he allowed us to enter an elevator.

"Good luck, Miss Thrones. You're in good hands." Casey shuddered at that and I glared at Ian.

"I swear, _all _the older Assassins are dicks to the younger Assassins."

Casey looked at me. "Is there a reason why?"

I rubbed my eyes. "Probably, but I don't really care. I enjoy getting under their skin." Casey grinned, albeit weakly. We arrived at the room that held the Animus and walked in. It was scary at first, but it didn't really bother me.

"So, you have to draw my blood?"

I nodded. "Genetic memories," I stated plainly as I walked over to a drawer and removed a syringe. "I don't need a lot. A few drops should be enough." I drew Casey's blood and looked at the dark crimson liquid. "All right, time for you to sit down and for me to log in."

Casey walked over to the Animus and slowly got in. When she was settled, I logged in and waited for a few seconds.

"WELCOME MASTER HALE," the computer greeted me. I rolled my eyes as I opened up the program for the Animus. I made a connection that would allow me to talk with Casey while she was inside.

"All right, Case," I said as I put the blood I drew from her into the system, "we should have some ancestors coming up in a few minutes here. Are you okay?"

"_Fine._" I quickly started typing. Within two minutes, I was getting ancestors, but most were just regular people.

I frowned as I scanned Casey's ancestors. They didn't have any impressive skills, no interference from the Assassins… _Nothing_.

"_How's it going Emma_?" Casey asked.

"Still searching." I frowned when I saw an ancestor. "Hey, you said you were, like, a third or fourth generation American right?"

"_Mhm_. _My great-great grandma lived in Toronto, and then she came to New York after the Great Fire of Toronto."_ I scanned the ancestor and grinned. "_The Great Fire in 1903._"

"Well," I smiled. "Looks like you're gonna be reliving her memories."

"_My great-great grandma knew how to free-run_?!" Casey exclaimed.

I read the ancestor's file slowly. "Not from a young age, she learned from a woman, who _must _be an Assassin, later in her life." I clicked the ancestor.

"_Okay Em, everything starting to fall into place, I think—._"

"Close your eyes," I suggested. Casey's eyes closed. It'd be easier to put her through an Animus if I had two other people with me, but I didn't. "Fuck you, William," I muttered quietly and rubbed my forehead.

I was nervously tapping my fingers on the desk as I watched the white screen start to fade into black. "All right, Case. Showtime," I said into the link.

* * *

><p><strong>DATE: OCTOBER 1903<strong>

**LOCATION: DOWNTOWN TORONTO, CANADA**

**ANCESTOR: ISABELLA LAVERTUE**

_Looks like I'll be closing up early again, _I thought absently as I poured over the accounting book. Business was steady, but with the rain, no one would venture out to by new clothes, only to have them get wet and possibly ruined.

It'd been raining steadily for two days straight and the cool autumn weather wasn't helping anyone.

_Ding_! The bell over the front door chimed. I groaned and pushed the wooden chair back, stood up and walked towards the door that would open up to my shop.

I pushed the door open and looked at who entered. Ahead of the doorway stood a tall young woman, with copper-coloured hair, but I could have been wrong because the hat she wore made it nearly invisible. The way she was dressed told me that she wasn't from Toronto, and she didn't immediately relax; her eyes were slowly examining every part of my shop.

I brushed the front of my dress to smooth it out, pushed my blonde hair back and straightened myself out. I walked to the counter and wiped some dust off of the wood varnish. "May I help you?" I asked the woman. She looked at me, and I found myself rather fearful of her. She wore a dark brown trenchcoat, her hands were gloved... She'd obviously been to Toronto before; she was dressed for the weather.

"Indeed," the woman said as she gracefully walked over and leaned in close. "I'm looking for a Miss 'Isabella Lavertue'. Is she in?" The woman pulled back and I looked at her closely. Her accent was _definitely _American. She crossed her arms as she waited for a response from me. It took a moment, but I caught the slight French accent when she'd said my name, and I swallowed a laugh due to how horrible an attempt it had been.

I cleared my throat to cover my laugh and smoothed the front of my dress out again. "Yes, I'm her." The woman smiled, but my initial fears of her did not die down.

Quickly, the woman reached into her trench coat pocket and produced a medium-sized envelope with a strange "A" symbol in the upper right corner. "We share a mutual friend, Miss Lavertue," the woman began as she placed the envelope in-between us. "You've heard of 'Sara Taylor'?"

I nodded. "She comes in once in a short while." I crossed my arms. "Why do you want to know?"

The woman snickered. "Sara Taylor is a friend of mine. She referred you to me." I nodded. "She told me that you are very good at, how did Sara put it…?" She tapped her chin in thought. "Oh yes! She said you can 'give people a new face'." The woman grinned wolfishly and I shuddered. "And my face is too well-known around here."

_Oh! She's a _special _client. _"I understand," I whispered. "You're a _special _client. Should've known right away when you said that you were friends with Sara Taylor." The woman smiled and I relaxed (somewhat). I walked out from behind the counter and flipped the "OPEN" sign to "CLOSED". "She's a frequent customer."

She sighed. "I do not doubt that. Sara tries her best to hide her face when she is not able to wear her hood." She gestured to the door. "Why did you do that?" the woman asked with a slight frown. "Wouldn't it seem rather suspicious that you closed early?"

I shook my head. "I close early when there is little-to-no customers." The woman nodded again and waited for me to finish closing up the shop. "May I ask you for a name?"

The woman looked around and I had a feeling that she wasn't going to _willingly _give her name to a complete stranger, Sara wasn't very keen on revealing her name to me either.

To my utter disbelief, the woman removed the dark brown fedora hat that she wore, tucked it under her left arm, and looked at me. I gasped quietly as I looked at her. She was obviously around my own age of twenty-eight (perhaps a year older), and she had these dark brown eyes that seemed to stare straight into your soul. Her copper-colored hair was pulled back, hidden beneath her trench coat. "Emily," the woman responded as she looked at me. "Emily Prince."

I swallowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Emily." Emily smiled as my eyes traveled over her body. She obviously kept fit, what with her work and all. "Please, call me Isabella." I led her behind the counter and into the back.

Emily stole a glance my way as we came up to the room. "Is this the room?" she asked as she stopped in front of the closed door.

"_Oui_ (yes)—my apologies," I corrected myself. "I grew up in Quebec for a time. My family moved to Toronto when the provincial government was starting to become too demanding." Emily narrowed her eyes at the information. "I sometimes find myself speaking French."

Emily cracked a smile. "No problem, Miss Lavertue." I frowned. "I've spent some time in Quebec as well; French is like a second language to me." I nodded and gestured for Emily to enter the room. When she was inside, I shut the door behind me.

"I'm going to have to ask you to remove your coat, Emily." Emily nodded and obliged. Underneath her coat, she wore a strange coat (more like a vest, actually) that was purely white, with a hood attached to the back. Underneath the vest was a light grey, long-sleeved shirt that seemed to be made of fleece or wool.

Overtop of her sleeves were two leather bracers (minus the actual metal or leather covering) and I had a feeling that they were similar to the bracers that Sara wore. Looking down, I saw that Emily wore a brown leather belt with a holster (pistol resting comfortably inside), ten small knives were sheathed at her hips, and a red sash was resting against the belt. Overtop of the red sash was the same strange "A" symbol that I had seen on the envelope. She also wore leather boots that stopped at her knees, and they looked well-worn.

"Are you done staring at me, Miss Lavertue?" Emily asked as she removed the vest and belt.

I reddened slightly and quickly started working on a plan. "I'll need you to stand still, _Miss Prince_." Emily didn't seem affected by the formality and she stood still.

_/-\_

"You will need to come by at least two hours before the party, Emily. The Premier's party will be well guarded."

Emily nodded. "I understand, there was an... assassination attempt on his life not too long ago." She grinned and I had to call on my bravery once more. "But I think it will be fine. No one notices me, and if they do, I'm already gone." We both walked out of the back, Emily walking around the counter.

Emily placed the tightly-sealed dress on the wooden counter and I brought up the price. "My apologies, Miss Lavertue," Emily said as she looked at me, her coat and hat back in place, "but I'm afraid I do not have enough to buy this dress from you." She bit her lower lip for a moment. "Perhaps we can trade?"

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. If you don't pay me, you don't get my services." Emily narrowed her eyes at me for a moment. "You know as well as I do that I'm the best in Toronto."

Emily nodded. "I know." She put the entire contents of a small pouch on the counter. "That's half of the cost. Are you _sure_ there's nothing you'd like to trade?"

I looked at her closely, a thin smile twitched at my lips. "My step-brother is always running around the city, climbing walls and running along the rooftops." Emily grinned. "I'd like to learn how to do that too."

Emily snickered. "And here you told me that if I don't pay you in full, I don't get your services."

I shrugged. "If you are like Sara, then you know how to climb walls and run along rooftops." She nodded _very _slowly. "I'd like you to teach me how."

Emily grinned as she offered me a gloved hand. "It'd be my pleasure... _Isabella_."


	21. The Great Fire

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:**

**The Great Fire**

**DATE: OCTOBER 2011**

**LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY**

My brow furrowed as I looked at the monitor that was next to the computer I used to login. Isabella Lavertue was _definitely _Casey's ancestor, there was no questioning it. But my eyes lingered on the woman with copper-colored hair. It felt as though I knew her, or recognized her at the very least.

It was painfully obvious the woman with the copper-colored hair was an Assassin. When she removed the coat and exposed the white vest that had the beaked hood... _that's _when Casey's ancestor obtained her free-running from an Assassin.

I watched as the memory ended and a little message popped up on my screen:

**MEMORY SEQUENCE END. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE?**

"All right, Case," I said into the headset I was wearing, "I'm gonna take you out so you can stretch your legs for a bit." I made sure to type in the correct code to decline the offer for Casey to continue the session. She'd been in the Animus for well over two hours.

"_Sounds good_."

I entered in a few more codes. When I finished, another message popped up:

**SUCCESSFUL REMOVAL FROM ANIMUS 2.0**.

Casey opened her eyes, so I got up from my chair and removed the heart and brain monitors that I had attached to Casey during the session (having forgotten to when the session began).

"How're you feeling?" I asked as I looked at her closely. "And it was the Great Fire of _1904_. You said 1903."

"So what? I was off by a few months from the looks of things." Casey rolled her shoulders a few times. "I feel fine. A little freaked out that I could relive my _great-great grandma's _memories, but other than that I'm peachy." She rubbed the back of her head. "That woman that Isabella was with... something about her seemed familiar." Casey looked at me. "When I saw her face, something in my own mind told me that it was someone I knew—or know, actually."

I nodded once. "I know. I was watching the memory as you progressed through it." I reached into my back pocket and grabbed my phone. "Something about 'Emily Prince' is familiar to me, too." I dialled my home phone, waiting only a bit before Heather picked up.

_"__Hey Emma, what's up? Is Casey okay?__" _she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, she's fine. I have her out and taking a breather." I sighed. "Can you tell me who my great-great grandmother was on my mom's side of the family?"

Heather must've been sitting in the living room or outside because I heard a door open and close. _"__Let me check…__"_ I tapped my fingers impatiently on the table while Casey was walking around, trying to get used to being in 2011 New York City after reliving memories that happened in 1903 Toronto. _"__Okay Em, my great-grandmother was Emily Prince. She lived in New York State.__"_

I swallowed as Casey looked at me. "A-Anything about, perhaps, Canada?" I asked weakly.

Heather must've been flipping through a journal and looking online. _"__Yeah. She helped an 'Isabella Lavertue' escape her shop when the Great Toronto Fire of 1904 happened.__"_ My hand (that was holding the phone) was shaking. Casey was staring at me._"__Why do you want to know this_?_"_

"B-Because."

_"__Emma, why do you want to know this_?_"_

It finally clicked. The copper-colored hair, the dark eyes, the demeanor… Emily Prince was _my _ancestor. _My _ancestor interfered with _Casey's_ ancestor. "No reason," I replied calmly. "Thanks for the information."

Heather hung up without another word. I rubbed my eyes. "You wanted to say something?" I asked as I looked at Casey.

"Yeah," she said. "Emily Prince. What's with her? She's an Assassin—that was blatantly clear when she removed her coat—but something else about her seemed familiar to me."

I nodded slowly as I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair. "Emily Prince was _my _ancestor, Casey. She was my aunt's and my mom's great-grandmother." Casey's jaw was on the ground.

"S-So, lemme get this straight: _your _family and _my _family knew each other _a_ _hundred years ago_?!" I nodded slowly as Casey's eyes widened.. "Wow… I wondered what happened that caused our families to drift apart."

I shrugged. "Isabella probably met someone and Emily probably did the same—unless Emily already _has _a fiancé or boyfriend by this point in history." I sat back down and clicked on Emily's file. "Yep," I said as I tapped the screen with my finger. "Says right here that she was engaged to a man named…" I trailed off as I scrolled down the screen. "Ah! Garret Ross! He must've been affiliated with the Assassins. He has his own file."

I felt my brow furrow. "What's wrong Emma?" I looked at Casey.

"Says here that Isabella was affiliated with the Assassins too. But…?" I silenced myself, unsure of how to word it. Isabella provided _countless _aliases for the Canadian and American Branches of the Assassin Order. "There's little-to-no information on her." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

"Perhaps her records were in Toronto, and during the fire they were destroyed. So, the only record of her was with Emily?"

My eyes widened. "Any record of her affiliations with the Assassin Order was left with Emily." I looked at Casey, confirming her thoughts. "Emily and Isabella must've gone their own ways after the Great Fire of 1904, or Emily told her it'd be safer if they split up."

"What about this 'Sara Taylor' woman? Isabella mentioned that Sara was a frequent customer for her 'talents'." She crossed her arms.

I typed in Sara Taylor's name, but it came up blank. However, there _were _ancestors that lined up all the way back to Syria. "Looks like another Assassin," I said plainly. "Isabella _did _say that Sara was a 'special' client."

"Yeah."

I exhaled sharply. "So, you wanna head back in? Looks like the next memory is going to be where you get the free-running skills we've been hoping for."

Casey nodded. "All right, sounds good." Casey hopped back into the Animus and I entered the codes for her to relive Isabella's memories.

* * *

><p><strong>DATE: APRIL 18TH, 1904<strong>

**LOCATION: TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA**

**ANCESTOR: ISABELLA LAVERTUE**

It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, there was little-to-no wind, and the shop was rather busy. But now... now it was a quiet moment, which allowed me to see what I sold. I closed my book just as the bell over the door chimed, and I looked up to see Emily standing in front of me.

"Hello." She smiled and I smiled back (I'd gotten used to her rather wolfish smile over the months). "I hope you don't mind, I'm early—." Emily stopped, turned her head, put her fedora back on and vanished as another customer walked in.

I watched her gravitate towards some clothes, and a few seconds later I turned my head and smiled at the man that had entered. "Hello, John," I greeted as the man with brown hair and moustache smiled at me. "What can I do for you today?"

John Croft was a frequent customer, mostly because he bought dresses for his wife and new shirts for his child. "I'm doing well, Miss Lavertue. Just looking for the wife again. She _adores _your work."

I blushed at the compliment. I glanced Emily standing over to the side, her hand over her mouth as she listened in to the conversation. "Thank you. Is there anything in particular that you want to get her?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes. In October of last year, my wife was lucky enough attend the Premier's party." I nodded slowly as Emily tensed. "She saw a young woman wearing a beautiful gown, and my wife knew instantly that _you _had designed it." Emily's shoulders were shaking in silent laughter.

"C-Can you tell me what this woman looked like? Perhaps I'll remember her." John smiled in silent agreement.

"My wife said she was tall, with a slender in frame, lean face, had this odd mix of blonde and brown hair..." I swallowed. That's what I made Emily look like in order for her to get into the party. I looked at Emily for a moment, and then back to John.

"I-I'll see if I have another in stock. I'll need your wife to come in about two days so I can properly fit the dress for her."

John smiled. "May I pay now, if you have one?"

"Let me go check in the back." John nodded and I walked into the back room.

After going through all the dresses, I was relieved that I still had one in stock and I removed it from the hanger. Walking back out, I saw that Emily was chatting with John as if they knew each other for years. "I have one more," I announced as I showed him the dress. He smiled. "Twenty dollars." Emily shot a glare at me. I had charged her ten dollars more for her dress, mostly because I knew _her _type of cliental normally destroy my clothing.

John had paid me in full and smiled at Emily. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ross." My brow furrowed, and Emily winked at me as John left the building.

"Ross?" I repeated as I walked over to my store's sign and flipped it to "CLOSED". "I thought your last name was Prince?"

Emily laughed quietly and removed her hat again. "Yes, my last name _is_ Prince, but my fiancé's last name is Ross. I plan to keep my maiden name after my marriage for my… Well, you know." I nodded. I didn't know _exactly _what Emily and Sara did for a living, but I always found it easier to agree without knowing the extent of what they did. "I'm sorry that I'm early, Isabella."

I shook my head. "No worries, Emily." Emily smiled and I looked at the clock. "Give me ten more minutes and I'll meet you in the back?" I still needed to sweep and clean the windows.

"Very well." She replaced her hat on her head and looked at me. "The disguise you gave me worked wonders, Miss Lavertue." I shuddered involuntarily, multiple ideas running through my mind. "No one recognized me—well, they recognized the dress, obviously." I could see in her dark eyes that she was rather amused that a woman that I knew recognized the dress so easily. "And it is still in _perfect_ condition."

Emily left the shop and, fifteen minutes later, I was walking out the back door. Again (rather, as usual) Emily appeared out of thin air. "How do you do that?!" I exclaimed.

Emily grinned. "In my line of work, you need to be silent." I pulled a jacket on and rubbed my hands together. "Are you ready for a little race?" Emily asked playfully. "I want to see if you have gotten any faster."

I smiled. "Of course I am!"

We took off running at a wall. I effortlessly gripped the edge and started climbing as if it were second nature to me. My first month attempting free-running was a disaster and Emily had ended up staying with me for the first two months of my training (she had to help me run the shop for half of those two months because I could barely walk without crying in pain).

I leapt over the gap between buildings and nearly laughed as I watched Emily skating over the ice covered roofs. "That's amazing!" I shouted as Emily skated for a bit then jumped the next gap. She waited for me on the other roof and grinned when I joined her.

"You have to be _really _skilled in free-running if you want to skate on the rooftops," she said as she clapped me on the back. "Now, we aren't _nearly_ done yet. I want to see how you do in conditions that you're unfamiliar with."

I frowned. "Huh?" I tilted my head as Emily took off, with me following closely behind her. I nearly slid over the side of the building and watched with wide eyes as Emily jumped and easily gripped the pipe that was hanging out from the side of one of the taller buildings in downtown Toronto, swinging to the next rooftop.

"Come on!" she called. I looked at the pipe, then Emily. She'd taught me how to leap for a pipe, but we were close to the ground then. "Don't look down!" I rolled my eyes and took a few steps back.

After I calmed myself down, I sprinted forward and jumped. I easily caught hold of the pipe my momentum swinging me forward as I released the bar and landed on the rooftop. "Very well done, Miss Lavertue." I turned and saw a _second _woman with Emily.

"Uh…?" was the only thing I was able to say.

The woman smiled. "It's me, Sara Taylor. I heard all the noise and I thought that Emily here—." She gestured with her thumb to Emily. "—was causing some trouble, as usual." I closed my mouth and blushed.

"My apologies, Miss Taylor. I didn't recognize you with the hood up." Emily snickered and Sara shot her a glare.

Sara returned hidden her eyes to me. "No worries. I assume that _this _was the reason why you were staying in Toronto for the longest time?" Sara smirked at Emily.

Emily shrugged. "I couldn't afford her dress for that party you had told me about, so I offered her my skills in free-running. The Templars are _still_ clueless, don't worry." Emily grinned her wolfish smile and Sara returned it. "The Premier is safe."

"'Templars'?" I repeated. Sara and Emily nodded, but didn't say anything on it. Another thing that I will never know about.

After chatting for a few minutes, Sara excused herself and ran off. When she vanished over the side of a building, Emily looked at me again. "You're cold?" She looked perfectly warm in the coat and vest she wore, not to mention the cotton and wool she probably had on helped with the weather as well.

I nodded. "Very much so. I didn't think I'd be cold while free-running!" I shivered. Normally, I was very warm and, on the first few occasions, sweating.

Emily smiled. "All right, we can head back. I need to get ready to return to the states tomorrow anyway." I gripped her arm. "What?" Her tone was half-concerned, half-amused.

"Y-You're leaving?!" I nearly screeched.

Emily nodded. "I miss my fiancé and family. I need to go back to my job in the states." I let her arm go and frowned. I was embarrassed that I'd forgotten that she wasn't from Canada. "My end of the bargain was kept. The dress is paid off and you can run along roofs as well as me—well, you're still a beginner, but you know enough to make it up a wall and over the gaps."

I nodded. "Thank you, Emily." She smiled and vanished over the roof, landing on the rooftop on the opposite side. "For everything."

* * *

><p><strong>FAST FORWARDING MEMORY TO A MORE RECENT ONE…<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>DATE: APRIL 19TH, 1904 9:15PM<strong>

**LOCATION: TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA**

**ANCESTOR: ISABELLA LAVERTUE**

I woke up to the smell of smoke. I must've only been asleep for fifteen minutes! Swiftly, I grabbed my robe and pulled it over my body. I opened the door, only to scream as a burning beam fell _inches _from me. "Oh God!" I heard someone wheeze as they made their way down the hall.

"IN HERE!" I shouted. Within a few minutes I saw someone with amber eyes (which made me freeze on the spot), a rag that was drenched in water, and a soot-covered hood staring at me. "HELP!"

They nodded. "Find a window!" they instructed. As I looked around my room the figure vanished, and my lungs and eyes burned from the smoke. My skin prickled from the heat as I made it to my window and breathed in the cool air. Sweat was starting to pour off of me from the intense heat.

The roof above me groaned and I jumped back just as the portion of the roof collapsed down to where I had been standing seconds before, and it continued to fall to the shop below.

I barely registered hearing a grunt as someone bashed through the weakening walls of my room. I screamed when they looked at me, their eyes still sharp amber. "Come with me!" they instructed. I recognized the voice.

"Emily?!" I screeched. "What happened to your eyes?! What are you doing here?!"

Emily didn't say a thing, but she grabbed my wrist and yanked me through the hole that she had created. "We need to get out of here! The fire has already destroyed the building next to this one!" She ducked as a flaming beam nearly hit her. "Where is the nearest window?!" She swore vehemently as she touched a wall and it singed her hand. "Christ!"

I coughed violently as she led me through the burning building. "The… back!" I gasped. Before I could protest, I was on Emily's back as she carried me out of the burning hallway. We reached the back window (which was in the spare room) and, using all her strength, Emily shoved it open, set me on my feet, and jumped out to land on the snow.

"ISABELLA!" she shouted. I followed without hesitation. I landed in the snow at the same time the roof collapsed. But a moment's rest would have to wait. "We have to _move_! The fire is moving too quickly!" Emily grabbed my wrist again and dragged me through the snow flurries. "Dammit!" I looked at Emily as she cursed and she removed her coat, handing it to me. I wrapped it tightly around myself and we ran from the blaze.

"W-What caused the fire?!" I shouted as we ran through the snow. "We have to find John!" I remembered that his building was nearby.

Emily removed the wet cloth from her face. "I don't know!" She looked at me, and I noticed her eyes were darker again. "Look, _we need to get away from here!_" She turned down an alley and I followed her up the wall. We took a moment to catch our breaths and then we continued running along the rooftops for a good while.

We had to have gone at least a mile or two before Emily stopped me and leaned down, resting her hands on her knees. "John's dead. I was able to rescue his wife and child, but not him. I'm sorry."

"W-What happened to... your eyes?" I panted as I gulped in the air. "They were _gold_!"

Emily didn't answer me. Instead, she pointed to the lit horizon. I placed my hand over my mouth as I looked at the fire. My shop was engulfed in flames. I looked at Emily again. "I was just about to head out when I smelt the smoke. I followed it and I saw that it was spreading." She lowered her ash covered hood and I saw that the entire lower half of her face was covered in ash, despite wearing that strange mask. "I'm glad I got you out of there."

I nodded and looked at the blaze. "Where will I live now? I'm not going back to Quebec."

"I wouldn't let you. The Canadian—... It's just not safe." Emily wiped some of the ash from her face. "Would you like to live in the states? New York State and New York City have plenty of room. You'd like it there. It's similar to Toronto." She rubbed the back of her head. "I can refer most my comrades to you that way."

I crossed my arms and looked at the blaze. "I have nowhere else to go; I guess I have no choice—."

"You _always _have a choice, Isabella," Emily chided.

I looked down. "I'll go to the states with you. At least I'll know _one person_ in the country, eh?"

Emily, nodding, crossed her arms. "But," she said hesitantly, "my enemies in the states are going to be looking for _anyone _close to me. We'll have to split up when we reach New York—for your own safety."

I nodded, and then Emily led me to a carriage. She had me get into the carriage while she took the reigns and had the horses going at a fast gallop. I turned my head and looked back at the city that I had called home for my entire life one last time.


	22. What Do I Do?

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:**

**What Do I Do?**

**DATE: OCTOBER 2011**

**LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY**

Again, I started typing in codes to get Casey successfully out of the Animus and the same two messages from before popped up. Hastily I typed in the codes to stop the session from continuing and waited as Casey got out of the Animus.

"How're you feeling?" I asked as I stood up and stretched my back out.

Casey shrugged. "It felt like I was literally _in _the building when it was burning. My lungs were burning at least…"

I nodded. "Your heart rate increased, but I couldn't pull you out even if I could. It was in the middle of the memory and Rebecca was _very_ adamant about not pulling you out when a memory is playing out."

Casey nodded and rubbed the back of her neck for a few moments. "So…now what?" she asked me.

I logged off the computer. "We go up a floor and see what you've retained."

"Huh?"

I shrugged. "Sorry." I cleared my throat. "There's a floor above us that's specifically designed to test out muscle-memory." Casey still looked confused as could be. "Just come with me."

Casey followed me to the elevator and we reached the next floor up. The elevator doors opened and Casey's eyes widened as she took in the training room. It was set up with pillars and beams set in random places to provide different difficulties of free-running. "Wow…" Casey breathed and I walked over to a panel on the wall.

"I'm gonna set it on beginner and up the difficulty as you run through the course." I pressed a few buttons and the pillars and beams shifted. "Normally, I'd take you out into the city and see how well you adapted, but, I don't want to risk running into Templars while I'm unarmed—and despite being able to fist-fight pretty well, I still prefer weapons." Casey closed her mouth.

I set the room to "Beginner" level and Casey took off. I watched as she easily ran through the course and I upped the level slightly. She had a little problem adjusting, but once she found her pace, it was a breeze. _She can adapt fairly quickly, good._

"All right, Case! I'm upping the level to Intermediate!" I shouted.

"Thanks for the heads up—!" Casey smashed face-first into a beam that appeared and she fell down to the matted floor. "Son of a bitch…" she moaned as I laughed.

"A-Are you a-all right?" I said between gasps.

Casey sat up and rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, dazed as hell, but I'm okay." She got up and walked back to the starting line. "I wanna go again."

"Are you sure?" I asked once I recovered from my laughter. "I need to make sure the security cameras got that!"

"Yeah, I wanna see how much I learned from Isabella." She shot a glare at me. "I'd _love _to see your first attempts at free-running!"

I shrugged. "I didn't fall _as much_, seeing as how I love to climb trees whenever I get the chance."

"Just set the room back to what it was before I ate the floor." Casey stomped off to the starting line.

I nodded and started the Intermediate level again. Casey fell a few times, mostly because she mistimed a few spots, but she seemed rather confident in her abilities. Now all that remained was her fighting and the "first kill" bullshit to deal with.

"Hey, Casey!" She perched on the beam and looked down at me. "We're gonna get going! I want to make sure I get you back in time for supper!"

Casey jumped down. "Sounds good, how long were we here?" she asked.

"About five hours."

"_Hours_?!" Casey stared at me in disbelief. "It feels like we've only been here for maybe two!"

I nodded and I winced as a headache appeared, my vision turned blue, and then everything went back to normal. "I know," I finally said after the headache passed. "But we've been here a while."

_/-\_

I dropped Casey off at home, following her up the steps in case a Templar decided to make an appearance (also because I had to drop her stuff off and I didn't want her to carry everything up the stairs by herself).

"How're you feeling, Case?" I asked as we started to walk up the last flight of stairs.

Casey shrugged, again. "I feel fine. Just a little freaked out that I'd just relieved my great-great grandma's memories." I nodded. "So, what now?" she asked.

"I'll come and get you after school Monday and we can start the fighting lessons." I looked at her. "Don't bother asking me about the Animus, I looked through your ancestry. _No one __else _was skilled in free-running _or _fighting. You'll have to learn the old-fashioned way.

"Um…"

Before I could respond, the door opened and I felt someone hugging me tightly. "Emma! It's _so _good to see you!" Casey's mom released me and I coughed a few times, trying to coax oxygen back into my system. "I haven't seen you in _months_!"

"S-Sorry about that Mrs. Thrones, I've been busy with school and my job." Casey snorted quietly and I shot a glare at her. "I'll try to make an effort and come by more often." Margaret beamed at that and Casey walked into the apartment. "I'll see you after school on Monday, Case?" I said. Casey turned around and nodded.

"Oh, you can't already have to go! You just got here!" Margret chirped and I gave a shrug.

"Sorry Mrs. Thrones, but I have some family coming over this weekend and I need to help clean the house up a little bit," I lied.

Margret sighed and hugged me again. "Just stop by soon! I want to know how everything is going." I nodded but didn't give her a concrete answer.

I was back by my car when I heard two people talking and I turned my head slightly. Two men, both in suits and sunglasses, were speaking in hushed tones. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and instead of getting into my car like I had planned, I shoved my keys in my pocket and walked down the road, towards a McDonalds.

"She's on the move." I heard one of the men behind me mutter. My eyes widened as I walked a little bit faster and turned into an alley, only to meet a dead-end.

"Fuck," I groaned as I rolled my eyes.

"Not so tough without your weapons, are you?" One of the men taunted as I turned around.

I crossed my arms. "What're you talking about?" I had to play my cards right in this. Something about these men was off, but I wasn't sure if they were Abstergo Agents or just nicely dressed pedophiles. I was hoping that the men were Agents. "I'm just taking a walk!"

One of the men removed a small rod from the inside of their jacket pocket and flicked it to reveal a longer stick. "You know _exactly _what we're talking about, _Assassin_." My eyes widened slightly and my vision turned blue, but the men before me were _red_.

"Are you sick or something?" I replied as my vision returned to normal.

Instead of responding to my retort, the Agent with that _ridiculous _stick-thing swung it at my head and I ducked easily and landed a punch to his gut. He grunted as he bent forward and I brought my knee up and hit him in the sweet spot. Easily, I disarmed him and forced him to the ground in a matter of seconds.

"That's all you got?" I taunted. Just as the Agent that I had kneed started to get up, I brought his weapon down and hit him _hard _in the chest. I knew I had broken a few of his ribs, the blood that started to leak from the corners of his mouth told me I had either punctured his lung or heart. "Rest in peace."

"You bitch!" I turned my head, but I fell back to the ground, my cheek stinging. Confused, I brought my hand to my wounded cheek and saw blood on my fingers.

I stood up and spat some of the blood that leaked into my mouth, out. "Lucky shot," I growled and lunged for the Agent. We grappled for a moment, but I kneed his stomach and he fell to the ground, groaning. I stood over him, grinning rather smugly. "You and your friend'll _never _learn—the _Templars _will never learn." I crouched down and placed my hands on the Agent's head. His eyes were wide with fear, he knew what I was going to do. "Rest in peace." I snapped his neck and he was dead before he could register the pain.

I hid the bodies quickly and hoped that the Assassin's out on patrol at this time would take care of this. I made it back to my car and looked at myself in the side-mirror on my car, and traced the bleeding cut carefully. "Goddammit!" I groaned as I got into my car and started it up.

The drive was short, mostly because I was speeding like I was playing _Grand Theft Auto_, but when I got home, Erik and Heather were the first ones to see my cheek. "What the hell, Em?" Erik said as he looked at me. "Did Casey get some fighting skills too?"

I shook my head. "No, I dropped her off and two Abstergo Agents attacked me. Both are dead, mind you, but _still_." Erik groaned as he walked upstairs and to the bathroom, probably to get the first-aid kit.

Heather wetted a washcloth and handed it to me. I wiped the wound clean then disinfected it. "I don't like this, Emma." Heather looked at me. "You weren't even in your Assassin jacket—or armed—and the Abstergo Agents figured you out pretty quick."

I nodded as Erik came back downstairs and put some bandages along the cut. "I think it's safe to assume the traitor has something to do with this," I muttered. "_Ow_!" I exclaimed as Erik finished putting the bandages on.

"Sorry," he replied.

Erik vanished up the stairs and I could hear him rearranging some stuff in the bathroom. "Emma," Heather said as she held a folder in her hand. "I was in the city today, I was called to the Tower."

"So?" I said as I sat on the couch.

She put the envelope on the coffee table. "This file came from Abstergo Industries in California. We only got this because of our own sleeper agent's craftiness." I nodded. "Emma, have you heard from Tanner at all recently? Has Casey heard from him at all?" I shook my head. "Thought so—."

I stood up. "You know something about Tanner?" I said as I crossed my arms. Heather didn't say anything.

Heather looked out the window then back at me. "I suggest you read this file, Emma." She pointed to the envelope on the table.

Frowning, I picked up the file and opened it. My eyes scanned the paper and I felt them widen when I took in the name.

"T-Tanner?" I croaked as I looked back at my aunt. "They have Tanner?!"

Heather sighed as she sat me down. "That's not all, Emma. I did some background checks on his family. His father is pretty high up in Abstergo. He's not part of the Inner Sanctum, but he's near that." I swallowed. "The sleeper agent also has a recording that you should see." Heather put a disk into the DVD player and hit "Play".

The screen was black for a few seconds, then it brightened to a room with four walls, a table in the middle, two chairs, and a lamp that was hanging overhead. "An interrogation room?" I said.

Heather didn't say anything as the recording progressed. I watched as Tanner was escorted into the room by two men in blue uniforms and my eyes narrowed at the Abstergo employees. They sat him down and without another word spoken, they left him alone.

A few minutes later, a man with blonde hair, a beard, wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and regular shoes walked in. _"Hello, Tanner,"_ the man said. I easily caught the accent he had, but I couldn't place it. _"How are you finding your stay in California?" _

Tanner shrugged. _"Not too bad, my new school is pretty sweet. Who're you?"_

The man laughed and flipped the chair so that he was straddling it. _"My name, Tanner, is Otso Berg."_

Tanner nodded and offered his hand. Otso shook it and I was clenching my teeth. _"Nice to meet you. My dad said that his boss wanted to speak with me?"_

"_Yes, Tanner. But Dr. Vidic is busy in Rome right now, so here I am." _Otso stated calmly. _"Do you know this girl?" _Otso asked as he removed a folder from below the table and I watched closely, not wanting to blink.

Otso opened the folder and I cursed that I couldn't see who's picture it was. _"Yeah," _Tanner said. _"That's Emma Hale. One of my best friends." _My heart seized up instantly. _"How do you know her?" _

Otso grinned. _"I know Emma because she's an Assassin."_

The video cut out for a few seconds and my heart was about to leap out of my chest. "Emma?" Heather said as she touched my shoulder.

"T-Th-They _got him_?!" I turned to face my aunt. "He doesn't know anything about me! I swear!" Heather shushed me and looked at me. "Casey's the only one!"

"I know that. Abstergo probably has a file on you, Emma. It's the only explanation." Our attention was back on the television as the recording continued.

"_Tanner, Emma is a ruthless, cold-blooded killer. She'll kill _whoever_ she wants, _whenever _she wants," _Otso stated and Tanner didn't seem to believe him.

"_That's not true, Emma's not a killer!"  
><em>

I rolled my eyes but kept watching.

"_No, Tanner. That's a lie." _Otso took something else out and placed it in front of Tanner. _"You may not like what is underneath this folder, Tanner. But you need to know what Emma is truly capable of."_

Tanner shrugged as he opened the folder and he stood up, his entire frame quivering. _"_Casey_?! She killed Casey?!" _My eyes widened and I felt a lump in my throat. _Now_ I know why Casey hasn't heard from Tanner. He thinks she's _dead_!

Otso nodded as he gently patted my (now ex) friends shoulder. _"Casey found out what Emma was and Emma silenced her…_permanently_." _Otso sighed. _"It's what the Assassin's do, Tanner. They kill only to further their own desires."_

"THAT'S A LIE!" I hollered at the television and Heather put a hand on my arm. I looked at Heather. "_When _was this recording taken?" I asked in a deadly calm voice.

Heather took a deep breath. "About, perhaps, two weeks ago."

I looked back at the screen and I could easily see the pain, grief, and undiluted _hatred _in his eyes. Hatred that was directed at _me_.

Otso smiled. _"However, you _can _avenge your friend's death, Tanner."_

"_How?" _His voice was clipped, void of any emotion—aside from hate.

Otso kept smiling. _"We can give you the skills to kill Emma, Tanner. We can make you into something that she cannot beat. You will be able to kill her, to bring Casey's killer to justice."_

Tanner looked at Otso for a moment. _"How will you make me a killer?"_

"_Simple. We have a machine that will give you the skills necessary to beat Emma at her own game. I cannot tell you much about it, but, if you accept my offer Tanner… You'll go far in life."_

Tanner looked at my file then at Casey's picture. If I could, I'd go back in time and stop him from leaving. I'd tell him what I was, that I wasn't a killer—that I didn't kill to further my own desires. I killed to help the innocent!

"_Not to sway your decision, Tanner. She also killed this woman; do you know her as well?" _Otso moved Casey's picture and my heart fell again. It was a picture of that Templar woman that I killed on my initiation night.

"_That-That's my step-sister!" _I felt my jaw unlatch and hit the ground. _I killed his step-sister?!_

I could see that Tanner was shaking, that he wanted to punch something—_stab _something.

"_I accept your offer, Otso." _Tanner shook the Templars hand. _"As long as I get to kill Emma." _

"_Emma Hale will die by your blade, recruit."_

The screen cut to black and I buried my face in my hands. "No…" Both of my friends are now thrown into this conflict. I worked so hard for so long to keep them from this world, from my world and they get tossed into it anyways!

Heather sat there, waiting for me to come to a decision. "Em?" she said gently and I looked at her.

"What do I do?" I asked.

Heather patted my leg and I just sat there, unable to think of what I could do. I can't reason with Tanner. I can't call him up and say that Casey's alive. I can't explain myself to him. He saw me as the enemy, he saw me as a killer.

For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do.


	23. Cain and Abel

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:**

**Cain and Abel**

I buried my face in my hand as I tried to understand how I was going to approach this with Casey. She needed to know why Tanner wasn't calling her, but, with each scenario I envision, the outcome isn't clear and it was simply infuriating to know that despite my constant (and rather clever) lies, my two best friends were _still _thrown into my world, a world that they shouldn't even know about—a world that shouldn't even _exist _to begin with!

I barely slept _at all _this past weekend and I had thanked Heather over and over for not giving me weekend patrols. Since Heather was basically the adult figure in the house, she made the call about what Derek, Erik, and I ran for patrols. Even though she sometimes drives me up a wall, I do love my aunt.

"Emma, are you going out on patrols tonight?" Derek asked as he walked into the living room. "'Cause I can take your shift for you if you want to spend that time training Casey."

I turned my head. "You know as well as I do that you have patrols right before me and I know how much you hate running double shifts like that." I frowned. "Plus, William hasn't sent any word about that traitor—if he's even bothering with the traitor."

Derek shrugged as he walked over and sat next to me. "Emma, I know you're upset by the recent turn of events—."

I looked at him. "'Upset' doesn't even _begin _to describe what I'm feeling," I muttered. "I did _everything_ in my power to keep Casey and Tanner out of this mess and what happens?!" I growled as I threw my hands up in the air. "It turns out that Tanner was _born_ into the Templar Order just like how I was born into the Assassin Order! Casey was _f__orced _to join or I had to make her forget that we ever knew each other!" I stood up and paced back and forth. "I'm fucking _infuriated_ right now!"

Derek gripped my right wrist as I passed him on the couch and he sat me down next to him. "The reason why I offered to run the double shift is because I know you're mad and I don't want you ending up dead because you can't think straight right now." I looked at Derek and I blinked, for a brief moment, I thought I saw our _father _staring at me. "Emma," Derek said and I blinked again, "do you want me to run your patrols tonight?"

I opened my mouth to reply when Heather walked in. "I think that'd be a good idea, Derek. But it's up to Emma." Heather narrowed her eyes at me.

I swallowed and looked down at the hardwood floor then back up at my brother. "I think that'd be a good idea, if you don't mind. I can take one of your shifts then if our patrol times line up like this again."

Derek nodded and hugged me tightly before heading back up to his room to get ready for patrols. "Just buy me some dinner the next time we go out!" Derek hollered from his room.

"Deal!" I shouted up at him.

_/-\_

Just as I finished up my science assignment, I heard Erik's bike pull in, followed by Casey's car. I set my pencil and notebook down and walked outside to greet my friend and half-brother. "Hey guys, how's school today?" I asked.

Erik and Casey shot each other a glance. "Rachel got into a gang fight a few nights ago," Erik muttered. My eyes widened slightly. "Her right shoulder to be accurate," Erik continued. "Casey noticed it today; Rachel was busy changing into her regular clothes after gym."

"And her lip and nose looked pretty beat up too," Casey added.

I pursed my lips as the information was revealed to me.

_I got up to put my tray in the window where the lunch ladies would wash them when Rachel passed me, and she suddenly caught my eye. She had a bandage along her left wrist._

"Hey, did you see anything strange on Rachel's wrist by chance?" I asked Casey.

"No," she said as she shook her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary." I nodded and Casey sighed. "All right, Em, so when do we begin the fighting lessons?"

I smirked. "As soon as you change out of those clothes," I said as I gestured to her clothes and she pouted. "Hey be thankful that I'm not suggesting you mud-wrestle in those."

Casey rolled her eyes at me and ran back out to her car to retrieve her gym clothes no doubt. I hoped she brought a light jacket. It was the last week in October and the November chill was starting to creep in. Moments later, Casey came back in with her gym bag and (ignoring me) she raced into the bathroom.

Five or ten minutes later, Casey came back downstairs in a pair of sweats, a long-sleeve shirt and her hair was tied back. "Wow," I said as I removed two water bottles from the fridge. "I didn't think you owned anything made of fleece."

Casey rolled her eyes. "_Very _funny." She caught the water bottle that I had tossed at her. "When're we heading out?" I grinned and Casey tilted her head. "Your smile is the same as Emily's!" She exclaimed and Heather looked at me for a moment.

I shrugged helplessly. "Casey's a descendant of Isabella Lavertue?" I offered weakly and Heather's eyes widened as she looked at Casey then me.

"Well, Emily _did _mention that she prayed that her and Isabella would cross paths again." Heather grinned. "But I don't think she had _this _in mind."

I snickered. "I don't think so either." I sighed. "So, Case, ready to get your butt handed to you?" Casey narrowed her eyes at me, but nodded. "I wanna stick to the backyard today, just because I don't feel like running or riding the horses today." The real reason? Because I wanted to be close to home when I told her why Tanner hasn't been calling her back for two weeks.

_/-\_

"Argh!" Casey grunted as she hit the grass with a loud _thud_. My foot was firmly planted on her stomach, a smile twitching at my lips. "How the hell do you do that?! It's like one minute your _there_," she exclaimed as she pointed to a spot in the grass, "and the next your pinning me to the ground with your foot!"

I shrugged. "I don't know how I do it." I offered my hand and Casey took it. Instantly, I felt her grip tighten and I moved so that when she tried to pin me, she was on her stomach, eating grass, while my left foot left a nice imprint on the back of her shirt. "Derek owes me five bucks."

Casey coughed up the grass that must've gotten into her mouth. "Why?!"

I laughed. "Because he bet that I couldn't get you to eat grass within the first half-hour." Casey growled insults left and right as I moved away from her and she sat up. "Now," I said as I handed her the water and an icepack. "What do you remember from earlier?" I asked.

I had told Casey three things that she needed to remember at all times, and I wanted to see if she remembered any of them.

"Uh…?" Was all she offered and I shook my head.

"One," I began as I counted off on my fingers, "you need to be light on your feet." Casey nodded. "Two, you need to _always _be aware of your surroundings." I looked at Casey, who nodded again. "Three, _keep moving_. The Templars will take notice of _any_hesitation that you may offer them."

"All right," Casey replied.

I sighed. "Tomorrow, I want to go over some fighting stances and techniques with you. How and where you stand while fighting can make the difference between life and death."

"Sounds like a plan—that's if I can even lift myself out of bed tomorrow!" Casey grinned and I shook my head as I playfully punched her shoulder.

"After a few more lessons, you should be good to go—well; you won't be so _green_ at the very least." Casey laughed as she unscrewed the water bottle cap and held it in her hand.

"Do you think we'll get a snow day at all this year?" Casey asked as she finished drinking the water. "I mean, the last time we had a snow day was what? Six years ago?"

I laughed as I plucked some blades of grass from the yard and tossed them around the yard. "Give or take two years."

Casey giggled. "I just hope Tanner calls soon, I'm getting worried Em. His phone's turned off—or perhaps he lost it…_again_, but I don't like it. Something is telling me that it's something different."

_Now's as good a time as any…_ "Casey," I said quietly as she sipped some water and placed an icepack on her shoulder, "I know why Tanner hasn't been calling you."

Casey looked at me; her eyes were lit up, excited and relieved that she would find out why Tanner hasn't been calling her. "Really? Why?"

I looked at her and frowned. "He thinks that you're…that you're…" I felt my throat close up, unable to say the words. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead on my knees, remembering that this was the same problem I had when I told Casey that I was an Assassin. I swallowed and took a deep breath. "He thinks you're dead."

Casey's jaw was on the ground. "W-What?! W-Why?!"

I looked at her for a moment. "Because the Templars lied to him. They said that you're dead, because _I _killed you." I ran my hand through my hair. "Tanner thinks that I killed you and is now out for my blood, for my death."

"Can't we just call him up and tell him that I'm okay?!"

I shook my head. "Not while we have that traitor running around causing havoc on the Order." I looked at Casey. "I'll figure out a way so that we can talk with him, explain to him that everything is fine and that you're alive and well."

Casey frowned as she looked down then back at me. "Who _are_ the Templars? I remember Emily mentioning to Sara about the 'Templars'. Who're they?"

I bit my lip. "A group of men and women that shouldn't even exist." Casey looked confused and I cleared my throat. "The history of the Templars and Assassins alike go back hundreds—_thousands _of years, to perhaps, Prehistory." Casey looked intrigued and I shrugged. "I don't know the _entire _story behind the two Orders, but, all I remember is two people: Adam and Eve."

Casey sat upright as she grinned. "Hold on!" I waited patiently as she ran to her car and retrieved a black notebook. "Here, we're learning about Adam and Eve right now in Ancient Civilizations!" Casey tossed me the notebook and I opened it up to reveal…_perfect _notes. "But it's a very small unit."

"Wow," I said as I flipped through the pages. "I didn't think you took such great notes!" Casey rolled her eyes.

"I was hoping that perhaps Adam and Eve meant more to you than it does to the others—I mean, since you're an Assassin and all." Casey shuddered. "I also know some stuff about them because my grandfather thinks that I need to be 'cleansed of my sins' and makes me go to church with him every other Sunday."

I read the notes closely, my mind translating them into the history lessons I learned from my father as I grew up. However (to my dismay) there weren't a lot of differences in my lessons with my dad and the notes that Casey had taken.

I flipped the page and my eyes narrowed at the title. "'Cain and Abel'?" I read as I looked up at Casey. I knew about Cain and Abel—more so Cain than Abel actually.

Casey nodded. "Mhm, apparently him and his younger brother, Abel, were the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was a farmer, I think and Abel was a Shepherd." I nodded slowly. "Then one day, Cain's offerings were rejected and he led his brother Abel to his death. I'm not sure if it was because he was jealous or just because he could kill Abel."

I set the notes down and tapped Cain's name. "Have you covered the 'Mark of Cain' yet?" I asked. _Everyone _in the Assassin Order knew what the 'Mark of Cain' was.

Casey nodded and turned the page to reveal a _very _familiar image. "Wait right here," I said as I went inside and found what I was looking for. "Cain was the first recorded murderer and Abel was the first recorded homicide," I said as I walked back outside. "Do you still have that picture of that cross on your phone?" Casey nodded and grabbed her phone from her pocket and brought the image up.

When the image was up, I placed the sheet of paper I had down next to the 'Mark of Cain' and I tapped Casey's notes and my paper. Her eyes widened as she looked at the two images and her phone. "He was also perhaps, the very first Templar in recorded history," I finished.

Casey looked at the Templar Cross then the 'Mark of Cain'. "No way…" she breathed. "So, if Cain was the first Templar… Who was the first Assassin?"

I rubbed the back of my head. "Erm… I'm not entirely sure." I moved my hand to my chin and thought for a moment. "Perhaps Adam and Eve were the first Assassins in recorded history…?" I thought out-loud. "I've heard so many rumors about who the first Assassin's were that I'm not entirely sure. Although, Adam and Eve _do _come up a lot when the older Scholars start talking about philosophy."

"So, it's safe to assume that Adam and Eve were the first Assassin's?" Casey asked as she looked at me.

I nodded very slowly. "But like I said: There are so many rumors out there that you can't be too sure. I mean, this one Scholar believes that those who were born with the sixth sense, Eagle Vision, are descendants of this group of humans that called themselves, The Ones Who Came Before."

"Who're they?" Casey asked.

I smirked. "Well, in _your _world, they'd be considered the Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and many other God-like beings._"_

Casey nodded. "That's understandable."

"Is Mrs. Olson teaching you anything else about Cain and Abel?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. I wasn't one to really talk about philosophy, but I _did _enjoying learning about it.

Casey shrugged. "Not much really, Mrs. Olson is _really _paranoid about certain things."

_Because 'Mrs. Olson' is actually an Assassin Scholar disguised as a teacher_, I thought to myself. "Huh, too bad I didn't take that class before I had to be homeschooled—I bet I could ace that class with my eyes shut and my ears covered!"

"Oh!" Casey exclaimed as I looked at her. "Why don't you convince Heather to let you come back? It's not like anyone really noticed your absence. Bertha _has _been keeping her distance—and yeah, she's still alive. Scared shitless to come anywhere _near _me though, she keeps murmuring about 'a woman in white'." I snickered and Casey pushed me so that I was on my back laughing.

"Sweet!" I replied as I sat back up. "I can talk to Heather about perhaps letting me come back to school; least it'll keep my mind off of the recent turn of events."

"Yeah…" Casey muttered and I knew she was upset by the news. Her and Tanner were best buds growing up, they'd been friends longer than I was with either of them. I only met them when I went to kindergarten and after that, we just became friends. No worries about Assassin and Templar problems. We could just be kids.

Casey and I spent the rest of the day going over some free-running exercises, but as Casey practiced in the trees, the barn, and climbing up the side of the house, I couldn't help but think about Cain and Abel, and Adam and Eve.

Tanner was Cain. I was Abel.

One of us was going to end up dead, that was certain.


	24. One Step Closer

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:**

**One Step Closer**

**DATE: NOVEMBER 2011**

**LOCATION: NEW YORK STATE**

_Dingdingdingdingdingding!_ I groaned as my alarm clock went off. Fumbling around in the dark for a moment, I found my alarm clock and pounded my fist on it so hard that I thought I heard it break. "Good riddance…" I grumbled as I tossed the covers away from me, stood up, and stretched out.

After I had showered and dressed, I walked downstairs. Heather was sitting at the table, closely examining a file of some sort, while Erik was trying to not fall asleep into his bowl of cereal. Derek was just waking up (I could hear his bed groaning as he moved).

"Morning," I greeted everyone as I grabbed a coffee cup and poured myself some coffee. Erik grunted as he yawned and rubbed his eyes and Heather looked up from whatever it was that she was reading.

"Morning, Em. Sleep well?" she asked.

I shrugged and took a sip of coffee. My nose wrinkled as I frowned. "Kinda, now where's the sugar?" Heather rolled her eyes as she pointed to the cabinet and I grabbed the sugar.

"Morning…" Derek mumbled as he walked to the fridge and removed the carton of orange juice and drank straight from the carton. His brown hair was a mess and I found it hard to believe that Derek was twenty years old. He acted like a fifteen year old (most of the time).

"Hey, mom," Erik said as he looked at Heather. "What're you reading?"

I looked at Heather as I added another spoonful of sugar to my coffee. "Just another mission file," Heather replied. "One that wasn't completed."

"Really?" I said with confusion as I stirred the sugar into the coffee. "That's not something you see everyday."

Heather shook her head. "It's not."

I took a swig of my coffee. "Who was the Assassin in charge of that mission?" I asked nonchalantly as I started drinking my coffee again.

"Number Four…" My eyes widened as I started choking on the steaming hot liquid and I had tears in my eyes as the heat burned my throat and windpipe.

"N-Number…" I coughed one more time. "_Number Four_?!" I gasped when I could feel my throat again. Heather nodded and set the file down. "What's it say?" I asked.

Heather shrugged and pushed the file towards me. I set my mug down on the counter and picked the file up. "Shit…" I muttered as I realized Number Four's name was blackened out with a black permanent marker. "Why do they black out names?" I went through the file a few times. "No picture?"

"In case this file gets into the hands of Templars or a regular N.Y.P.D police officer," Heather replied as she took a bite out of her toast. "And Number Four is considered either M.I.A or K.I.A."

I rolled my eyes and I felt my brow furrow. "She was sent to a school in Queens? For what?" I asked. My brow furrowed further. "Number Four is almost _thirty years old_! She couldn't _possibly_ pass as a teenager…could she?" I asked.

Everyone shrugged. "It's too early in the morning for this; can't this wait until after you get home from school?" Derek groaned.

I shook my head. "Mind if I keep this?" I asked Heather as I held up the file. "I wanna see if there're any clues that could lead me to her."

Heather shrugged. "Have fun." Heather took another swig of her coffee and looked at the clock on the microwave. "Shouldn't you and Erik be getting ready to head out? It's almost six."

Erik's tired eyes snapped into focus and he nearly shoved me into the counter in his haste to finish getting ready for school. Laughing, I followed Erik upstairs and grabbed my jacket and weapons, seeing as how I needed to do some investigating after school.

Heather shot me a sideways glance when she saw my Assassin jacket hung carelessly over my shoulders and she eyed my rather heavy pack. "Going out after school?" she asked.

"Yeah, thought I could use some exercise before I kick Casey's ass for the umpteenth time," I grinned.

Shaking her head, Heather waved me out the door and I jogged to my other bike that I used while Erik worked on fixing my other bike (I didn't mind driving my car, just too flashy for my tastes). I walked over to the black and silver 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250R, walked it out to the driveway, and placed my jacket in the mini-trunk that Erik had installed for me.

Yes, it looked bulky and stupid on my bike, but I needed it for occasions such as this.

_/-\_

I parked my bike in the parking area designated for motorcycles and I saw Casey standing by the flagpole, a huge smile plastered on her face. "Hey!" she called as I walked over.

I waved as I approached. "Hey," I replied quietly and a few students seemed to do a double take, as if they _finally _noticed my three week absence. "After school, I'm gonna be running an errand in the city so feel free to ask Derek, Erik, or Heather to get you warmed up for your lessons today."

Casey's bright smile vanished into a dark scowl. "Not five seconds here and you're already talking about my Assas—." I clamped my hand over Casey's mouth as a few students passed us, their eyes lingering on us for a moment too long. After they passed, Casey ripped my hand away and glared at me. "What was _that _for?"

I shook my head. "You can't just talk about…my job like that. You need to be discreet." Casey nodded.

"Uh…Em?" she muttered as she looked around.

"What?"

She laughed nervously. "What was that about being 'discreet'?" She pointed down to my left hand and I shoved it into my pocket before anyone else that wasn't an Assassin (or before a Templar) saw it.

"Sorry," I growled as I glared at her. "It's been a while since I had to worry about those kinda things."

"Three weeks if you want to be accurate."

"I'm gonna call Derek on my study hall hour and tell him that _he _will be getting you ready for your next fighting lesson." Casey paled as she realized my hulking mass of a brother would be getting her ready for the lessons this afternoon. "Not so cocky now, are you?" I asked with a smug grin.

"I'll see you after school," Casey growled as she glared at me. "And after your errand."

_/-\_

I parked my bike in an alley, opened the mini trunk in the back and removed my jacket and weapons (I admit, I had Erik do some enhancements to the bike), took my fleece jacket off and put it in the trunk, closed the trunk, and donned my Assassin jacket and placed my weapons in their places.

Scurrying up the side of the nearby building, I leapt across gaps until I came up to the address that was in Number Four's mission file. I came to a stop and crouched down on the edge of the roof. "This couldn't be the place…" I murmured as I looked at the address on the slip of paper I had brought with me.

Sighing, I jumped down into an alley and removed my hood as I walked out and observed the warehouse. "Excuse me," I said as a middle-aged woman passed me. "Can you tell me what happened to that building and what the address is?"

The woman looked at me once and I crossed my arms. "Yeah, there was a gas leak about a year ago; there was a girl that was trapped inside… Not sure if she made it out though." I nodded. "Sorry about the address, can't tell you that."

"Thanks for your help." The woman walked away.

My lips pursed as I looked at the ruined building. It was painfully obvious that there was a fire here, the ground was scorched black from the heat, and the building itself looked like a skeleton. But this was the location where Number Four was last located. Maybe there were some clues as to what had happened to her.

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips. "All right, time to do some investigating," I murmured to myself as I threw my hood up over my face and crawled through one of the shattered windows.

I was never one to listen to those yellow police tape things they used. Hell, I never listened to the law to begin with!

I landed with a barely audible _'thud'_ and the dust and ash from the fire swirled around me, up into the air and into my throat. I coughed as loudly as I dared; not wanting to alert anyone that was passing by that someone was in here. One look at the warehouse told you that it wasn't structurally sound.

Carefully, I made my way along the paths that were left, some of them, I had to jump from a few fallen beams, and my heart rate increased each time I heard the metal groan in protest to the weight that was being put on it. One beam falling was probably enough to make this building collapse and I _didn't _want to be the one that makes it collapse.

I jumped down from a low beam that had fallen and I looked around. "What's this?" I muttered as I saw a small spot that seemed to have taken the worst of the fire. The beams however, looked like someone had moved them. I walked over and observed the small space.

Blinking, my vision turned blue again and something beneath the rubble glowed brightly. Shaking my head, my vision returned to normal and I picked up the object, studying it closely. It was green in color, smooth in texture. "What're you from?" I whispered to the cloth.

I froze as I heard metal creaking _above _me and I jumped out of the way as a figure clad in black landed in the spot that I was just standing in. "Dammit!" they growled and I stood up, hiding the green cloth in my pocket. My breathing was quiet as I looked around and found a (some-what) sturdy beam to climb on. I had to shift my weight as I climbed; not wanting this Templar to realize I already had the upper hand.

"Where the fuck did she go?" They started looking around and I crawled like a cat, evenly distributing my weight along the beams so that they didn't creak.

When they were in a semi-clear space, I flicked my wrist and jumped. However, as I jumped the beam I was perched on gave way and I half-fell, half-jumped onto the Templar. My blade sliced their arm but their fist met my jaw. "Found you!" they snarled.

I brought my legs up to my chest and kicked them off of me. "I think it's the other way around," I replied as I rubbed my jaw and stood up. "I _heard _you before you attacked." I took my dagger out and held it in front of me.

The Templar lunged at me and I stepped aside, grabbed the back of their jacket and threw them into a pile of collapsed beams. They gasped as their neck was snapped back and I had launched a throwing knife from my belt and into their leg. They howled in agony as they removed the weapon and tossed it to the side.

"You…bitch…" They grunted and I flicked my right wrist.

My mind was flooded with images, images that would scare even the dead. I wanted to mutilate this Templar and leave their body maimed and disfigured so that not even the Inner Sanctum or Circle, or whatever they call themselves, could recognize the Templar. "You and your Order are a plague on humanity," I snarled as I walked forward.

Just as I reached the Templar, they reacted (fast for having a wounded leg) and leapt into the weakened support beams.

As I chased the Templar through the ruined building, I didn't pay attention and the beam that I had placed my left foot on, gave way and I found myself falling through the air. "SHIT!" I screamed as I felt myself hit the concrete, my head smashing into the ground. My groaned as I rubbed my head and laid there for a few minutes, trying to understand what had happened.

_The Templar got away Em, that's all there is to it._ Sitting up, I rubbed my forehead and slowly opened my eyes—only to nearly scream when my vision was _blue_! "What the fuck?!" I muttered as I blinked and tried to get rid of the blue vision.

Again, again, and again, I tried to get rid of the blue vision, but it wasn't vanishing. "Oh man, what did I do?!" I muttered frantically as I gripped my head.

Surprisingly, there wasn't a headache that accompanied the blue vision like it did before. I slowly stood up and reached into my pocket and the cloth that was once green was white, and I mean a _bright _white.

I calmed my frantic mind (and racing heart) as quickly as I could and when I felt like I was in control of myself, I blinked and the world around me morphed back into the regular colors and that green bit of cloth was green again.

Acting on a hunch, I brought the cloth close to me and inhaled. The scent of gas and dust assaulted my nose and I sneezed. "Definitely a gas leak, but…" I trailed off and my vision acted weird again. But this time, I _saw _a few ghosts. One of them seemed unconscious, two other ghosts seemed to know what they were doing (dumping gas everywhere) and within a few seconds, the scene vanished and my sight returned to normal.

I froze when I heard someone grunting. "Hey! Is anyone in here?!" I turned my head to the source of the noise and looked for my throwing knife (grateful the beams concealed me). Finding it, I sheathed it and ran (stumbled mostly) through the rubble until I reached the other side and found a window that I could climb through.

When my feet hit the pavement on the outside of the building, I bolted for the safety of the alleys and hoped that I could get back to my bike.

Hopefully one of my family members knew what this green cloth belonged to and if one of them did know, then that meant I was one step closer to finding Number Four.


	25. No Exceptions

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:**

**No Exceptions  
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"Heather!" I screamed, shoving the front door open so hard that I thought I saw a crack in the wall. "HEATHER!" My eyes darted frantically around the house. My vision was still normal, but I didn't know how long it would last.

"Emma, what's wrong?!" Heather jogged into the house, a small sweat on her forehead. "I was just training Casey."

I gulped, taking a deep breath. "M-My vision," I began quietly. "My vision turned _blue_!" I looked at Heather, waiting for an answer—hoping she _had _an answer for my vision acting so weird. "I-I mean, I've had these headaches for a few months now and each time I had a headache, my vision would turn blue—but it would _fade _after the headaches passed!"

Frowning, Heather brought her face close to mine, narrowing her eyes. I felt slightly uncomfortable with how close she was (I valued my personal space).

"It's about time it's happened!" Heather exclaimed, a smile adorning her lips. "Nothing's wrong with your vision, Emma." She stroked my hair gently. "Let me clean up, then I'll explain it to you, all right?"

"Okay," I replied.

While Heather walked upstairs to clean up, I wandered to the backyard. "Wow," I replied, shrugging my jacket off, hanging it casually over the back of the lounge chair, my hidden blades remained on my arms. Casey was lying in the grass, covered in sweat; while Derek was whistling a happy tune, staring up at the sky. Arms behind his head, a triumphant smile on his face.

"I hate you," Casey grumbled, not moving a muscle.

Derek snickered. "Who? Me or Em?"

"Both of you! Heather included!" I laughed, making Casey yelp in surprise. "For the love of God! _Stop doing that_!" She shrieked at me.

Placing my hands on my hips, I grinned. "Do what? I honestly have _no idea _what you're talking about."

Casey sat up. "You're always disappearing!"

I opened my mouth to reply when I heard Heather approaching from behind me. "It's an old technique. I forget what it's called though," Heather stated, pulling her hair back. "Emma, can we talk?"

Nodding, I grabbed my jacket. "Go easy on her, Der!" I called to Derek as he and Casey stood up, preparing for another round. When we were inside the house, Heather gestured to one of the dining room chairs.

Tentatively, I sat down, working on removing my hidden blades. "There's no reason for me to beat around the bush, Em," Heather began. I narrowed my eyes, looking at Heather closely. Were her eyes…_brighter_? "You've inherited your mother's Eagle Vision."

I recoiled slightly at her words. "What?" I said in disbelief.

"You inherited your mother's—and my—Eagle Vision." I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came out. Instead, I closed it as Heather placed a book in front of me. It looked old, but taken care of. "This tells you the lore of Eagle Vision/Sense." Heather tapped her chin. "And for some reason, only the women in the family inherit the active gene. The men are carriers."

"Eagle Sense?" I said. "I thought there was only Eagle Vision!" I grinned. "Is that why Grandpa Roland always pokes fun at you for having 'vision of a sixteen year old'?"

Heather tapped the book again. "This'll explain some of the things. Your mother would've been able to tell you about Eagle Sense, since she mastered the Eagle Vision when she was around twenty-two." Heather smirked at my last statement. "Yes, he always makes fun of me. But your mom had it _a lot _worse." That glint in Heather's eyes made me tense. "I wonder what he'll say when he learns that 'Little Emmy' has the talent."

"And you?" I replied. "_You wouldn't dare_."

"Try me." Heather smirked, then she became serious again. "I came to the decision to keep my talent at Eagle Vision. I didn't want my eyes turning amber. Lord knows that Cheryl had amber eyes for at least two years before she figured out how to revert them back to brown." Heather grinned. "I think that's how your father fell for her."

I rolled my eyes. "So my dad fell for my mom because of her eyes?" Heather snickered.

"I suppose so." I opened the book and began reading. "I'll make sure Casey gets home on time—oh!" Heather exclaimed, facepalming. "I almost forgot! Her jacket came in, along with her hidden blade and dagger." I raised my eyes from the book.

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll get her acquainted with the weapons that'll save her life later." _Find ways to silence Heather from telling Grandpa Roland about my Eagle Vision. _"I'll just pray to my mom to make your life a living Hell until you promise to keep quiet about my Eagle Vision," I replied cheekily.

Heather crossed her arms. "You have a mission tonight with her as it is." She uncrossed them, her playful demeanor returning. "_Please_, Emma. _I _made your mother's life a living Hell."

I closed the book. "Oh? Did you ever consider that she _could _haunt you from the grave if her daughter asked for help? I mean, I would've _loved _to see you and her fighting, Assassin style back in the day. Who normally won those fights, by the way?"

"Yes. There's a large congregation of Templars meeting in New York City this evening, William made it very clear that 'Master Hale' and 'Apprentice Thrones' are to be the ones to see this mission through." I frowned. "He's not happy with you, Em." Heather glared at me. "Your mom won most of the time."

I scoffed, "When is the asshole _ever _happy?" Heather stroked my hair for a moment before disappearing up the steps. "I'll be sure to put in a good word for you so she doesn't hang your bras and panties from the barn!" I called up the stairs.

"I may not be your mother, but I can still ground you!" Heather replied.

I laughed, shaking my head. _I'm really glad I made amends with her. _I brought my attention back to the book.

_"Eagle Vision was a sixth sense that certain lineages of humans possessed, as a result of being created by the First Civilization." _First Civilization? I'd heard about those guys before, didn't my father mention that they had something to do with the Pieces of Eden? Maybe not, perhaps I read something similar to it somewhere. _"Though every human held the potential for it, bloodlines of humans who had interbred with their creators held a greater concentration of the necessary genes, and were most likely to exhibit the ability."_

So my bloodline goes all the way back to perhaps the first humans to ever walk the earth? Cool.

_"Those who possessed the gift were able to instinctively sense how people and objects related to them, which manifested as a colored glow, much like an aura or other form of glow."_

I recalled the red, blues and whites, and the gold auras that I had seen when my vision acted weird. _So those were auras. _I wonder what they mean. Scanning the page I saw a small section (it looked new) added to the page.

_"Red = Enemies—Templars; Blue = Assassin's/Allies; White = Sources of information/hiding spots; Gold = Targets or persons of interest."_

I felt a grin twitching at my lips. It'd be easier to discern Templars from innocents posing as Templars now. As I continued to read the book, there was an envelope bookmarking the next page. Frowning, I removed the envelope.

After staring at it for a moment, I opened it with my hidden blade. The writing was neat, organized. But it was something different entirely. Like a secret that only was meant for someone with Eagle Vision/Sense.

_"There is something special about our Eagle Vision/Sense. I have learned over the years that if you focus the Eagle Vision enough to make it evolve into Eagle Sense, you begin to see seven points in the human body. Each have a different color—perhaps a different meaning? I've researched our family line, ending in 1200 Syria."_

That brought me up short. There were numerous memorable Assassins during that time. Altair and his family—even the Shadow-Step!

_"With help from my sister, Heather, I have gone into an Animus and relived the memories of my ancestor, Darim Ibn-La'Ahad—."_

Darim. Ibn-La'Ahad. I was a descendant of _Altair_?! I returned my eyes to the letter.

_"Heather was nothing short of joyful, realizing we had descended from one of the most influential Assassin's in the Order! While she researched more into our lineage, we had learned we were descended from Hayya, a renowned Assassin that lived during the Renaissance. She was known for her poisons, similar to Amunet.  
><em>

_Hayya?_ Wasn't that Arabic? Shaking my head, I continued reading. _"After utilizing my Eagle Sense in the field, stabbing a Templar or enemy in certain points will cause instant death or a slow painful death. I had even learned how to block only two of the seven points."_

I flipped the paper over, my vision warping again, and I saw a family tree! Most of the names were missing, but there was Altair's, Maria's Darim's, and Sef's names! Scanning the paper, there was a name scribbled, 'Hayya'. "Note to self, research my family history a little more," I muttered to myself, the blue warping back into the right colors.

Folding the letter up, I placed it back in the envelope, closing the envelope a moment later. Without a word I walked upstairs, to the bathroom, and looked at myself in the mirror closely. Sure as hell, there was a dominant amber color laced with the brown in my irises. "If only I knew how to activate my Eagle Vision…" I absently murmured.

"Knock, knock," Heather chimed, gently knocking on the door. "I couldn't help but overhear your question."

I sighed. "It was a statement."

"Regardless." Her eyes lit up instantly. "It's easy. Take a deep breath and relax." I did as told. "Now, close your eyes and picture the world warped slightly."

With my eyes closed I frowned. "What do you mean? Warped into that blue color?"

"Yeah."

Taking another deep breath, I opened my eyes and Heather was a bright blue color. "Holy crap! You're a bright blue!"

Heather laughed. "That means I'm an Assassin. No doubt you saw Cheryl's side note about the colors and their meaning?"

I nodded. "How do I turn it off?"

Heather crossed her arms, a smile in place. "Same process as to activate it." Calming myself down (again), I blinked. The world warped back into the right colors. "It'll be easier as time goes on." I removed my left hidden blade. "That mission you have with Casey? It'll be starting at around eight tonight—you have any homework?"

"No, I finished it during my free hour."

Without another word, Heather left me alone.

_/-\_

"I. Hate. You," Casey growled (repeating what she said earlier), grunting as she pulled her new dark grey hooded jacket on. "Derek is a jackass when it comes to fighting!" She crossed her arms. "So is Heather!"

I smirked. "I'm not any better. We don't take it easy on _anyone_. You gotta make rash decisions in the field and the Templars won't give you a breather."

Casey growled. "So, what're we doing tonight?"

I placed my hands on my hips. "Templar meeting, and a big one at that. Don't know why we have to, but it has to be done. This is what happens when you piss off the Mentor of the Assassin Brotherhood."

Casey crossed her arms. "You take great pride in ticking off the older Assassin's, don't you?"

"Immensely."

Sighing, Casey followed me out to my bike. "So, are you gonna use your Eagle Vision tonight?"

I nodded, placing the helmet on my head. "I gotta learn how to use it, I mean; it'll make my life easier."

Casey placed the spare helmet on her head. "Well, good luck to you." She flicked her wrist, admiring the hidden blade. She'd practiced with it a few times with Derek (I think Derek had 'killed' her at least six different times), she got the hang of it fairly quickly.

Smirking under the helmet, I mounted the bike, waiting for Casey to mount behind me. When her arms were wrapped around my torso, did I lower my visor and kick the bike to life. "Hang on!" I said into the Bluetooth.

_/-\_

Casey and I were near Queens (I had rolled my eyes at the location), near the warehouse where my Eagle Vision became a permanent fixture in my life. When the bike was parked and hidden the two of us climbed up the side of a building (Casey had to use the fire escape).

I sat on the edge of the building, waiting impatiently as Casey climbed up the fire escape. "Christ, Em!" Casey hissed. "Isabella made it seem so easy!"

I smirked, standing up. "You need to build up the muscle for it."

"So I'll be sore tomorrow?" she moaned.

"Definitely sore."

Casey groaned. "Perfect."

Without another word, we raced along the roofs for a while. Just for shits and giggles I activated my Eagle Vision. It was almost like built-in night vision goggles! "Oh, I'm definitely gonna be using my Eagle Vision a lot."

Casey growled under her breath. "So, what're we actually going to do?"

I came to a stop. "Listen, learn, and on the off chance, follow the Templar—or Templars."

We didn't speak to each other for the rest of the run to the meeting. I was elated to find that the Templars didn't bother with posting Agents on the roofs surrounding the area, but hey, you only live once.

About fifteen minutes later, the meeting began. Mostly it was about how they were going to obtain a Piece of Eden for their own twisted schemes (at the top of that list: Enslaving the human race) and to welcome another member to Master level. I have to admit, the Templars weren't only the bad guys, they were also thieves apparently. Most of the ceremony was _very _similar to the Assassin ceremony when you reached Master level.

"No points for originality," I remarked dryly.

Casey's shoulders were shaking in silent laughter, she must've researched some things on the Assassin's while I was gone. Eventually the large meeting began to disband, instantly my 'Assassin mode' kicked in and I prepared to follow the Templars. However, the one that the Templars inducted to Master level started going an opposite way.

"Follow the lone Templar and I'll follow the larger group," I murmured to Casey. Nodding, she took off after the lone Templar while I made to follow the large group. I dropped down into the street and began to follow the group.

Most of their conversation was menial and uninteresting, until the one Agent mentioned a name.

"The Shadow-Step is still missing?" One Templar said. "Daniel Cross is normally very good about tracking and finding Assassin's."

"I believe so," another replied. "I recall seeing a young man with red hair run into the building. I think I saw him carry someone out—looked like a young girl, perhaps a teenager."

_Young girl?_ _Teenager? _Number Four would be a grown woman by this point. _Perhaps just another innocent that decided to play hero and save an Assassin recruit._ With nothing of interest to me, I darted back towards my bike, only to be surprised when I saw Casey pacing in front of it.

"Hey, how'd it go?" I asked, lowering my hood.

Casey glanced at me. "I think I know who the traitor is," she began.

I felt an eyebrow rise. "Who? William needs to know."

Casey bit her lip. "I think Lilly's the traitor. I heard her talking with someone on a phone—sounded like Tanner. She said, 'Emma Hale will be your kill, just give me time to get her guard down, then you can strike'."

I frowned. "Lilly's _not _a traitor, Case." This wasn't funny. I knew Casey was new to this whole game of Assassin and Templar but, you _never _accuse a fellow Assassin of being a traitor without reasonable proof.

Casey put her hands up defensively. "Look, I know I don't have proof to back up my statement, I'm just stating what I heard and thought." She swallowed. "I mean, I don't even think it could be Tanner. For all we know, it could be someone else and the Templars lied to Tanner about being the one to kill you."

I glared at my friend. "Don't make assumptions that aren't backed up one-hundred percent," I grumbled. Casey crossed her arms, looking downcast.

"Won't happen again, just be watchful." Something about the way she said it, it seemed like she wasn't entirely convinced that it was just 'another Templar'.

I sighed. "Look, Case, it's really bad to call a fellow Assassin a traitor—I'm not saying that it hasn't happened, because it has—just, until you have actual evidence to back up your accusation, keep it to yourself, all right?"

"So, this Assassin Order is like a dictatorship?"

I shrugged. "More or less, but it keeps the Order running—what's left of the Order after the Great Purge at least."

"I heard about that. Something about Daniel Cross killing the Mentor, right?" Casey asked.

I mounted my bike. "Yeah, it happened a year before I went to Camp. My dad was really unsure if he should've sent Derek, Erik, and myself for the summer."

"He obviously did." Casey mounted behind me, her arms on my shoulders (her left hand gently rested on my left shoulder).

I grinned. "As far as I'm concerned, best decision he ever made." I kicked the bike to life again. "I'll take you home, all right?"

"'Kay."

I decided, as I took Casey home, that I'd call up Lilly and see where she was (more than likely she was back home in Chicago) and see how she was doing. That way, Casey would see that Lilly's back home in Chicago, realize that Lilly's _not _the traitor, and perhaps move on from her mistake. It was funny really. Every new recruit that was given a Master was always so eager to prove themselves that they forget the basic principles of being an Assassin.

_Oh well, _I thought, _I guess no one, not even Casey, is an exception to that rule._


	26. History Doesn't Matter

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:**

**History Doesn't Matter**

I lounged lazily on a large boulder in the forest, the sun high up in the sky, a gentle wind rustling through the woods that surrounded the clearing. With a smile, I pretended to find shapes in the clouds. When that started to bore me I closed my eyes, tuning everything out, listening to the wind whistle through the trees. I heard the faintest of breathing and the leaves, sticks, pine needles—basically everything on the forest floor—crackling with every step taken.

_Snap!_ "Crap," I heard Casey groan. "Okay…"

Sighing, I placed my hands behind my head, smirking. "In three… two… one…"

"Ha—!" I rolled to the side, landing in a crouch, one hand on the ground to steady myself out at the same time Casey landed in the grass, belly-first. "Shit…" Casey moaned, sitting up.

Snickering, I stood up, brushing my shorts off. "You _still _make too much noise," I chided.

Casey shot a lethal glare my way. "It's not _that _easy, Em! _I_ haven't been doing this for _eighteen_ _years_!" she complained, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Gimme a break!"

"Fine," I replied, walking back to the large boulder. I reached to the other side and grabbed a cold water bottle. "How're your muscles?"

Casey rotated her shoulder a few times, wincing just a little bit. "Sore, but I've been icing them when my mom isn't looking."

My eyes widened on their own. "That's right!" I facepalmed. "What're you telling your mom when you come home?" Casey shrugged, eyeing the water bottle in my hand. Rolling my eyes, I offered the water.

"Thanks," she said in-between gulps. When she was done, she capped it and handed it back to me, wiping away what remained with the back of her hand. "I've been telling her that I've been going to the gym after school, then I come here to study."

"Yeah, Heather is a _great _French tutor, isn't she?" I remarked sarcastically. Casey nodded and remained on the ground.

"This sucks, you know?" she groaned.

"Can you go into a little more detail?" I stated.

She rolled over so she was resting on her side. "Isabella gets free-running from _your _ancestor. Why weren't there other ancestors that were good friends with the Assassins?"

I smirked. "I don't know. Perhaps fate put Emily and Isabella in each other's lives—."

"We should be thanking this 'Sara Taylor' woman for the encounter."

I snorted. "Sara Taylor is _dead_." Casey shrugged and made to rest on the grass again. "Oh no you don't!" I stated, standing up with my hands on my hips. "Time for some combat training!"

"_Come on__,_Emma! It's nearly dinner time as it is! We've been out here for _hours_!"

Ignoring her complaints, I stood above her. "Do you realize that I'm perhaps one of the few Master Assassins that would allow you to complain like this?" I snapped. "Get up! I want to practice some basic forms with you and teach you some defensive stances."

"Fine," Casey pouted.

I glided over to the other side of the clearing, gauging Casey as she prepared for the onslaught of attacks I was (no doubt) about to deliver to her. _Legs are too far apart, _I noted mentally as I took in Casey's form. _Arms are in the right place…_ Before she even knew what had happened I had Casey on her back, my hand holding her down by her throat.

"Kill." I grinned.

"Asshole," she growled in response. I released her throat and allowed her to sit up. "So," Casey panted, "are you gonna tell me about that shoulder of yours?" She gestured to my left shoulder. "I mean, we have time."

I slowly shut my mouth. I was going to reply with "When I have time", but that obviously didn't seem to be the case anymore. "Sure," I replied, stretching my arms absently. "But it won't be a very happy story."

Casey shrugged. "If it gets too much for you, let me know." Casey stood up. "You can tell me as we walk back to the house."

Nodding, I closed my eyes and recalled that day.

* * *

><p><strong>LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY<strong>

**DATE: AUGUST 2009**

Jake and I were walking through Central Park, enjoying the last day of summer. We'd been going out for a few months, and I was (surprisingly) able to keep my Assassin secret from him.

"So," Jake said, entwining my fingers with his, "what do you think about meeting my 'rents this evening?"

My heart started to beat erratically at the thought of meeting Jake's parents. I mean, Derek, Erik, and Heather had seen me with Jake when they went on patrols, but they obviously couldn't approach me when they were dressed as Assassins. "S-Sure," I replied.

Jake smiled and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry, Em. They won't bite." He grinned. "They're actually looking forward to meeting you."

_That doesn't help_, I thought to myself. "Great. Will you pick me up or will I drive there?"

Jake continued to smile. "I can pick you up. Can I have your address? That seems to be the _only _thing I don't know about you. Where do you live?"

I grinned mischievously. "New York State." Jake rolled his eyes. "I'll meet you at the usual spot, all right?" The usual spot was at the entrance to Central Park, since that was where I had actually met Jake three months earlier when he was trying to find his wallet. "Do I need to dress up for this?"

Jake chuckled, making me groan in reply. I _hated _dressing up, but when I had to, I sucked it up and bore through it. "It would probably make a good impression on them that I'm not dating some Harlem girl."

I shoved him away, a smile on my lips. "Is _that _what you're telling your 'rents?" I prompted.

Jake went red. "N-No! I-I swear Em! I'm not lying to them about you!"

Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms around his torso. "I'm just kidding, Jake. Lighten up." I peered over his shoulder to see a familiar white jacket with a red tipped beak. _Dammit Derek! You have to ruin the moment every time! _"I gotta go. I forgot that I had some family issues to take care of," I stated quickly. "When do you want to meet up?"

Jake crossed his arms. "How about five? It'll give me some time to prepare for this. My parents are _really _high-strung."

I rolled my eyes. "Who do they work for?"

Jake smiled. "Some big-shot corporate office. I don't remember the name." Jake shook his head so his golden brown hair fell in his eyes. "I'll see you later." He kissed my forehead before departing. Only when he was out of my sight did Derek emerge from the shadows.

"Emma and Jake, sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N—!"

I tackled Derek to the ground, holding his own dagger against his throat. "I _dare _you to finish that sentence," I cajoled my older sibling. He didn't say another word. "Smart boy. Now what's so important that you have to _spy _on my boyfriend and I?"

Derek stood up, taking his weapon from my hand. "Believe it or not, _dad _sent me out. He wants to make sure that Jake isn't some guy that's not right for you." Derek grinned. "I mean, dad hasn't met the guy yet!"

I smacked his chest. "You know damn well that Jake _can't _come to the house. The Hale family is probably on the top ten list for the Templars' 'most hated families'—in fact, anyone who associates with us is probably in danger!" Derek started laughing. "What?"

"Casey, Tanner, Jake… The list goes on, little sister," Derek replied with a smug grin. "Let's go home so Heather can get you ready for tonight."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "I'm not letting her _near _me!"

Derek groaned. "C'mon, Em. Can't you put aside your distaste for the woman? She's just trying to help—."

"She's trying to be our _mother_ _when__she__ isn't_!" Derek put his hands on my shoulders, squeezing them reassuringly.

"You know she's not our mother, but she _is _our aunt. Can't you just suck it up for the day?"

I glowered at him, a childish pout on my face. "Fine."

* * *

><p><strong>LOCATION: NEW YORK STATE<strong>

**DATE: NOVEMBER 2011**

"Wow," Casey said as we walked along the trail. "You must've _really _hated Heather back then. But you seem so nice to her now." She crossed her arms. "I remember that Jake O'Brien was killed around that time..." Her eyes widened at the possibilities.

I grinned. "I made amends. Now, do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?" I wasn't going to tell her the ending right then.

"Of course I do!" Casey exclaimed enthusiastically.

I snickered. "I'm gonna skip the whole 'getting ready for the date' part, even though you seem to enjoy it when I have to go through that torture."

Casey grinned sheepishly. "I find some small pleasure in seeing you squirm." I glared at her. "Just continue the story before you decide to maim me!"

I rolled my eyes as I laughed at her outburst. "All right, all right."

* * *

><p><strong>LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY<strong>

**DATE: AUGUST 2009**

I stood at the entrance to Central Park, pulling my jacket over my shoulders so that none of the "shadier characters" got any bright ideas. I checked my cell impatiently to see that it was five to five. _God, I hope Jake didn't get the dates mixed up._

"Em!" I heard Jake call from his car. I spun around, only to see Jake's blue eyes wide with shock. "Wow, Em." Jake cleared his throat as he walked over to me after getting out of his car. "You look amazing."

I blushed at the compliment. "You don't look too bad yourself."

Grinning, Jake led me to his car and we drove off towards the upper-east side of New York City. "So," I said to break the silence, "do your 'rents work at a bank or something?"

Jake shrugged. "I think my mom works in accounting for this corporation. My dad, I think, is an executive of some kind. It's amazing, really, how they have time for me and all." I didn't reply to that. "Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Em. I just sometimes wish that my 'rents weren't so stuck up with the money and all. They _love _to flaunt their wealth, while I enjoy just coasting under the radar."

I snorted. "Yeah, because if the girls at school found out about your wealth, you'd have a hard time avoiding Rachel, Becca, Haley, _and_Casey." Jake laughed as I listed off the popular girls (I added Casey because she _would_ chase after a rich boy).

About ten minutes later we arrived at a large home. It was a little bit smaller than my home, but (like Jake) I didn't flaunt my wealth. With my dad being good buddies with the Mentor, my family was entitled to _some _degree of wealth. Though after the Purge in 2000, we weren't sure where the current de facto Mentor was getting the cash.

"Ready?" Jake asked.

Nodding once, Jake allowed me to enter the home. "This is amazing," I breathed, taking in the room I had just walked into. "Thanks," I said as Jake removed my coat and hung it on the coat rack.

"No problem. Dinner is ready."

Jake and I walked to the dining room to see a rather lavish dinner spread on display. Suddenly, I felt like I _was _from Harlem. "Oh, wow..."

Jake sighed. "I told them that this was too much, but _no_. They _never_ listen to me. _Ever_."

My eyes darted around the walls to see a good amount of weapons that probably dated back to the Renaissance. A few of them I could actually name. "Your 'rents are collectors?" I asked.

Jake nodded, his arms crossed. "It's a hobby of theirs. I wish they would stop though. I mean, they already filled one room with weapons like these, but their collection will hopefully end soon."

Before I could reply, a woman with Jake's golden brown hair walked in, a smile on her face. "You must be Emma." The woman walked over and gave me a hug. "My name is Chanel." She pulled away to straighten out her dress. "Jake, you obviously weren't lying to us when you said Emma was beautiful."

Okay, _that _I blushed profusely at. _Maybe I can find a way to contact Number Four and beg her to kill me. _"I-It's a pleasure to meet you," I smiled politely.

Chanel opened her mouth to reply when a burly man with Jake's blue eyes walked in. "Ah, so this is the infamous Emma Hale." I unconsciously froze. The way he said my name made me think he knew something about me. "A little jumpy, aren't we?"

"_Dad_," Jake groaned, "she's nervous enough! You and mom aren't helping!"

Chanel kissed her son's cheek. "Forgive us for wanting to make a good impression. I mean, it's not everyday that our baby boy brings home a girlfriend for us to meet!" Jake and I were _both _as red as could be.

* * *

><p><strong>LOCATION: NEW YORK STATE<strong>

**DATE: NOVEMBER 2011**

"Oh man!" Casey snickered. "I would've _loved _to meet Jake's parents!" She stopped snickering to glare at me. "And for the record, I wouldn't have gone after him! He was _your_ boyfriend!"

I shrugged. "Didn't stop Rachel from tying now did it?"

Casey nodded. "Good point, now keep going!"

I moaned under my breath. "This is the longest trip back to the house..._ever_!"

* * *

><p><strong>LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY<strong>

**DATE: AUGUST 2009**

Dinner was nothing short of awkward. Chanel and Robert (Jake's dad) kept glancing at me with a look in their eyes that I'd never seen before. Jake kept his eyes on his food, barely speaking to me at all. When he did pipe up, Robert would try to ask me a few questions about my life (I ended up feeding him lie after lie).

"How's your father, Emma?" he asked. "Jake said his health hasn't been the best."

I shrugged. "We take it day-by-day."

Robert nodded and returned to his dinner.

"Sorry, Em. I didn't think they'd be _this _bad," Jake murmured.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure they're just being careful." _I know __my__ family would be careful_.

After dinner was finished, Robert led Chanel, Jake and I to the living room where we sat and talked about school, work (lied about that one too), and other things I didn't really find any interest in.

"Now Jacob," Robert said gruffly, "is there something you'd like to say to Emma?"

Jake stared at me, a new look in his eyes. "Yeah." He stood up and offered his hand to me. I took it so I was standing. "Sorry Em: this is just business."

"Wha—?" Within the same second, I felt a searing pain in my left shoulder at the same time someone punched me in the stomach. "JAKE!" I hollered. I crumpled to the ground, my Assassin training screaming throughout my mind.

Jake crouched down to my eye-level, a hidden blade attached his wrist. _Oh no... _"Sorry, Emma. I'm sorry you got pulled into the middle of this. But I needed to prove myself and send a message."

My eyes narrowed at him. "A message to _who_?" Tears started to fall from my face.

"To the Assassins," Jake replied. "And the only way to do that was to kill an—!" I lunged at him, my hands wrapping around his throat. He tried to pry my hands away but I held firm.

"She's one of them!" Robert hollered. I rolled off of Jake and stood, swaying slightly as the blood loss began to affect me. Chanel ran at me, a small knife aimed for my throat. I ducked, kicking the woman into the wall. The small knife clattered to the ground, giving me the chance to arm myself.

Without thinking, I pulled Chanel's head back and slid her own blade across her throat. "Rest in peace," I hissed, dropping her corpse to the ground.

"Emma!" Jake hollered, standing up, rubbing his throat. "What the hell?!"

I glared at him. "You know _exactly _what's going on!" I glared at the two men. "I'm an Assassin. I've _always _been an Assassin." Robert was red as he stared at his wife's body.

"You bitch!" he roared, running at me, sword in hand. He swung the sword at me, only to curse as I ducked and vanished from his sight. I turned the small knife I had into a throwing knife, lodging it in the older man's back and piercing his heart. He immediately collapsed, blood leaking from his mouth.

Jake stared at his parents' bodies in disbelief, then brought his gaze up to meet mine. I clasped my wounded shoulder in an attempt to staunch the bleeding "I guess we both lied then," I panted. "You were trying to become a Templar, and I was always an Assassin. Was that company your 'rents _worked _for, by chance, Abstergo Industries?"

Jake deftly grabbed the sword his father had and charged at me. With wide eyes, I ducked, kicking his legs out from under him. "Stop this, Jake!" I pleaded.

"_Never_!"

I dislocated both of his shoulders and kicked the back of his knees out from under him so that he would fall to the ground. "_Why_?!" I hissed.

"To send a message to those Assassin bastards!" His eyes were wild as he took me in. "You killed my parents, you bitch!"

I clenched a fist. "Why pick me?" I asked feebly.

Jake panted through the pain. "Because I had to kill an innocent to show them that I'm not gonna mess around anymore!"

I laughed, but it was empty. "You chose me because you thought I was an _innocent_?" I picked up the sword and rested the sharp edge against his neck. "Swords haven't been used in centuries. I think Abstergo uses those stupid stick-things now."

Jake panted (I also think he peed himself, from the stench). "What're you gonna do, Em? We have too much history together. You don't have it in you!"

I staggered, my vision beginning to darken. "History or not, you're a Templar and I'm an Assassin." I prepped the sword. "Besides, I've already killed your Templar parents. What makes you think I won't do it to you?" He choked back a cry of fear. "Rest in peace." I shoved the sword through his chest. He cried in agony for a few minutes, and I took that time to dial my home. I needed help. Badly.

_"Hello?" _Heather answered.

"Heather...! Jake... Templar... Wounded...! Help...!" And then consciousness left me.

* * *

><p><strong>LOCATION: NEW YORK STATE<strong>

**DATE: NOVEMBER 2011**

Casey was speechless as we approached the home. "The police said someone broke in and killed the family."

I nodded. "That's what Heather made it look like. She was able to rid my DNA from the premises so I wouldn't be a suspect." I shook my head. "I made it to the hospital. Turned out that Jake had severed a nerve and now the scar left behind is painful to the touch. My dad asked me if I wanted to get it fixed so it didn't hurt, but I refused. I was hospitalized for a few weeks."

"I remember that. You said that you had fallen from your horse and hurt your shoulder.

I nodded as we walked into the house. Heather was busy making dinner with Erik and Derek was probably outside practicing again. "Are you gonna stay for dinner?" I asked.

Casey shook her head. "I'm gonna head home. My mom expects me back in an hour anyway."

Before I could say "good-bye" to her, my phone went off. I frowned when I glanced at the screen and saw a number I didn't recognize. "Hey, do you know what area code this is?" I asked Casey, showing her the number.

"213? No, I don't know who's calling you." She took a large gulp of water. "Answer it and find out."

My heart was beating erratically. No one knew my number aside from a handful of people, and my wishful thinking that it was simply a wrong number was hard to properly establish. After another second of contemplating my next move, I answered the call.

"Hello?" I answered my phone.

_"__Emma?__"_ All color drained from my face. I _knew _this voice. _"__It's Tanner. My dad got a job transfer again. Great, right?"_

Casey opened her mouth to ask me who was calling, but I placed a hand on her mouth. "T-That's great, _Tanner_." I shot my eyes to Casey, who looked paler than I did. "W-When're you supposed to be back?"

_"__Two weeks. I can't __wait_ _to see you and Casey again! Just like old times, eh?__"_

"M-Me neither," I stammered. "He's coming back in two weeks," I mouthed to Casey.

"_Well, I'll see you in two weeks then. Later!_"

"Later," I mumbled.

When he had hung up, I collapsed back into the couch, my mind racing with worry and disbelief. His voice... I wasn't sure if he hated me or not.

"Em?" Casey whispered. I didn't reply, my entire body was frozen with terror. Tanner was coming back—was he coming back to _kill__me?_! "Em?!" Casey shook me roughly.

Blinking, I focused my eyes on my best friend. "Tanner is coming back," I muttered weakly.


	27. Another Day at the Mall

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:**

**Another Day at the Mall**

The two weeks seemed to have passed by in a blur. Between school, training, patrols, worrying about Tanner, and training Casey; it seemed as though I had no time to prepare myself for Tanner's arrival back into the city. But thankfully today was Friday (we had no school today, something about a teacher's convention) and Casey thought it would be a good idea to head into the city for a break from everything.

Her idea: Going to the mall.

I tossed a plain old grey hooded sweatshirt on, then I grabbed my leather jacket, sliding it over my shoulders as I walked down the stairs. Casey was picking me up in a few minutes, seeing as how I couldn't ride my bike into the city right now (there was a light rain last night and it froze over).

"Have fun, Emma!" Derek called as he worked on Heather's car. He was wearing a pair of jeans and at least two layer's of shirts. "Erik! I need something to stop this oil leak! What the hell did your mother hit? A deer or a bear?!"

_You're _so _lucky that Heather's at HQ right now, _I thought to my brother. "Who's car did she take?" I asked.

"Yours," Derek replied.

My eyes widened. "I swear to God, she crashes my car, I'm going to kill her!"

Erik came into view with a plastic container. "I think she hit a tree branch that was on the road, is it bad?"

Derek wiped his forehead. "Not as bad as I thought. It'll be done in a few hours." Derek glanced at me. "We'll fix it, Em. Don't worry."

"We might as well get her a fucking _tank_!" I exclaimed.

The boys laughed at my remark. "Well, while you wait for Casey to arrive, why don't you make yourself useful and help us? We could use the extra hands," Erik said.

Frowning, I agreed to help. "What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Get under the car and get the oil out of the car. Erik already siphoned the gas from the tank," Derek said.

I grabbed a few tools so I could get the oil out and Erik handed me the plastic container to store the oil in. "Thanks, bro," I said as the oil dripped into the container.

A few minutes later, I slid out from under the car and handed Derek the oil. "Thanks, Em. And not a drop of oil on you!" I looked myself over, a smile on my face.

"Saves me a trip back into the house."

Erik smiled. "Good thing too, 'cause Casey's almost here. She just sent me a text."

"Casey and Erik sittin' in a tree—!" Erik swung a punch at Derek (who ducked so Erik hit empty air).

"Shut-up!" he growled.

I shot a questioning look at my cousin, who blushed slightly. _Yeah, I'll keep this secret to myself. _Erik must've understood what I was thinking because he smiled.

"At least Casey won't try to kill you like Emmy's ex!" Derek hollered in laughter.

Growling insults, I tossed the hood up over my face to stay warm when Casey pulled in, honking her horn. Grinning, I raced over and slid into the passenger's seat. Immediately, she ripped my hood from my head. "For the love of God, Emma!" Casey exclaimed. "Can't you go _one day _without wearing your hood?"

I shrugged. "It's not exactly warm out anymore and I don't wear a hat unless I'm going for a run!" Casey rolled her eyes as she turned the heater on and drove into the city. "So, what store are you going to drag me into this time?" I asked her as she pulled off of the Highway.

A coy grin appeared on her face the same time she locked the doors. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! _I started trying to get the door open without breaking the actual door. "Victoria's Secret," she answered.

"You absolutely _hate _me don't you?" I growled, slumping in my seat.

"I have to get revenge for all the beat-downs you gave me in the past four weeks_somehow_. Speaking of Victoria's Secret, have you tried those clothes on…?"

I glared at her. "I'm going to be burning them as soon as Heather tells me where she hid the damn matches!"

Casey laughed. "I'm not going to make you try anything on, Em. I just need an opinion—."

"Ask someone who gets _paid _to watch you try on that crap. I'm going to Old Navy or Starbucks," I growled.

Sighing, Casey mumbled an agreement. "Do you think Tanner'll try to confront you at the mall?" she asked. "I mean, if you said he's a Templar now, wouldn't he be tailing you?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "But he wouldn't actually try to attack me while there're witnesses. Templars aren't stupid—arrogant—but not stupid." But then again, Tanner was probably fueled by anger and grief, two emotions that should never mix.

The rest of the trip was pretty quiet, aside from when a driver cut Casey off and _both _of us started swearing at the guy as we passed him. I went as far as flipping him the bird the same time Casey honked her horn.

"This is why I prefer New York State over New York City," I remarked dryly, my eyes firmly set on the dashboard. "Not as much traffic and the people are nicer."

"Then why do we patrol New York City?" Casey asked, turning down another street. "Fuck, what's going on today?" The street we had turned down was nearly blocked with traffic.

I snorted. "There's no school today, remember? _All _the kids are free from prison." Which was also why I had off of patrols today. Most of the younger Assassins were able to patrol today.

We got to the mall a while later, it was pretty busy, but Casey managed to get a good parking spot. Casey put her hat on while I placed my hood over my face to stop the biting cold from giving us frostbite. We hurried to get into the warm building, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity when I spotted a patch of ice.

"Watch this!" I said to Casey. I ran towards it and slid along the ice until it gave way to pavement.

"_Anyone _can do that!" she retorted, jogging over to me; a knowing smile on her face.

"But only Emily can skate along ice-covered roofs as if she was at a skating rink!" I grinned.

With a gentle laugh, Casey and I hurried to the building. When we got inside, I removed my hood from my face, scanning the crowd for any sign of Tanner. If he was tailing me,_this _would be the place to do it. But if he was tailing me, he'd see Casey!

"When do you need to be back?" Casey asked as we walked further into the mall.

"Whenever. I can always call Derek or Erik to come and get me," I said.

"Not Heather?"

I shook my head. "Her car is in the garage right now. I think she drove over a log again." Casey laughed as we walked through the crowds. I watched her with a smile. Her blending skills have come along swimmingly since I began teaching her. Normally, she'd be standing out and the guys would be walking up to her. "Plus she's finding out about that green cloth I found the other week."

We stopped in front of Victoria's Secret. "Well, I'll have my phone. Text me when you're done and I'll meet you back here," I told her, turning my phone on.

"Are you sur—."

"I'm absolutely _positive_," I assured my friend. "I'll see you later."

Casey sighed, but walked into the store. When I was sure she was okay, I wandered around the mall, stopping at Starbucks for a coffee, when i thought I spotted a tall, lean boy with pale blonde hair in the crowd. With my heart seizing up, I blinked, my Eagle Vision activating smoothly. _Nothing's there, _I assured myself.

I also spent most of the two weeks figuring out my Eagle Vision. I was able to activate it at will now, but it was still a little bit hard to turn off.

Taking a sip from my coffee, I continued to wander, admire a few stands some vendors had out—Toni was even there.

"Em!" Toni waved.

I waved back with my left hand (which I had covered my tattoo up with make up again), which made Toni smile.

I'd stopped in Old Navy to see what they had for jeans and shirt, but when nothing caught my eye, I left and decided to sit down at an empty bench, checking my phone.

"Can we go in, _please_?!" a little boy with red hair and freckles begged as he and an older girl walked in front of me. My eyes shot to who the boy was with and I jumped in my seat for a moment. After I got over my initial shock, a smile twitched at my lips.

"Sure, why not?" Sam said to the little boy, removing her shades. Ironically, the store I had sat in front of was a toy store.

The two of them walked in and after about six seconds, I followed in after them. The toy store wasn't overly busy but it wasn't dead either (but the sounds of kids crying was like nails on a chalkboard). I grinned while I walked around, remaining discreet, as I recalled many a times that I begged for a toy.

I was pretending to look at a collection of board games when I heard the boy from before talking.

"_Please_, Sam?" I heard the little boy whimper. I glided over to the beginning of the aisle to listen.

"Sorry, Tyler, but we can't afford that right now. We need the money for groceries," Sam reminded the boy, Tyler, gently. "Perhaps next time."

I poked my head around the edge of the aisle to see Sam hugging Tyler (who looked really upset). I took a breath and walked around the corner.

"Sam?" I said, sounding as if was actually surprised.

She stood up and stared at me for a moment before smiling. "Em! I didn't think I'd see you again! It was like you vanished back in the locker room that day!"

I snickered. "Sorry, but I had to get going. What's going on here?" I asked.

Sam opened her mouth to reply when Tyler spoke first. "I want to get this toy but we can't get it right now." The pout was still in place as Tyler pointed to the toy gun on the top shelf. I followed his finger and read the price. _Yeesh._

"Maybe for Christmas, Tyler," Sam murmured.

I crossed my arms for a moment. I crouched down so I was eye-level with Tyler. "Well, what if Santa came early this year?" I whispered to Tyler. His blue eyes lit up. "Have you been a good boy?" I asked.

"Yes I have!" Tyler smiled. He was literally vibrating with excitement.

Sam gave me a look. "What're you talking about, Em?" She asked as I stood up.

I took the toy down and handed it to Tyler. "I'll get the toy for him—."

Sam put her hand on my arm. "Are you sure?"

Tyler took the toy gun from my hands faster than I could kill a Templar, and took off towards the check-out counter. "I'm sure, Sam. It's not a problem." I smiled. "It's almost Christmas as it is."

Sam crossed her arms. "You don't have to do this."

I smiled. "I don't have to. I _want _to." I swallowed, my face reddening. "Money's not an issue."

Sam's eyes widened. "Really? I didn't think you were the rich type."

I shook my head. "I may have money, but it doesn't mean I like to flaunt it. I'm pretty chill when it comes to that kinda stuff."

Sam smiled. "I thought your species was extinct!"

"Excuse me?"

Sam laughed. "People who have money but don't like to flaunt it! Sheesh! Normally I can pick out the rich people from the regular people."

I smirked. "I guess I tricked you then. My dad raised my brother and myself with the rule: Just because we have the money, doesn't mean we need to use it."

"That's a good rule." Sam sighed. "_At least_ let me buy you some lunch, it'll make me feel better."

I grinned. "If you want to, sure."

Sam and I walked back to the check-out counter.

As we walked, she explained her situation where she was living with Ryan and Tyler, who were supported by a foster home, but the money that they got from the government wasn't enough for three people to live on, so Ryan had to get a job. She also told me that the race I'd won a few weeks ago was for money and the guilt set in. I'd have to find a way to make it up to Sam.

We rounded the corner only to see Tyler was explaining to the cashier that "Santa" had come early this year for him. He turned at the sound of Sam's and my approach; set the toy on the counter for the cashier to scan.

I handed the girl my card, signed the electronic tablet, and I grabbed the toy; handing it to Tyler. "There you go, kiddo."

"Would you like a bag?" the girl asked.

"Please," Sam said.

The cashier handed Sam a large bag and Tyler put his toy in the bag. "Thank you!" Tyler exclaimed, hugging me tightly. The three of us made our way to the food court.

A few guys gave Sam a sideways glance, but she ignored it and kept listening as Tyler was listing off the places to eat at the food court. As soon as we got to the food court, Tyler bounded off towards a stand (Sam chasing after him), giving me the chance I needed.

While Sam and Tyler ordered our food, I slipped away and found the nearest ATM. I punched my code in and took some cash out from my account.

"Excuse me," I asked the bank teller. "Do you have an envelope?" She nodded, handing me an envelope. I placed the twenty dollar bills inside. "Do you have a scrap piece of paper and a pen?" With a smile, she handed me the post-it note and a pen. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear."

I put the paper against the counter and wrote three words:

_Hope this helps._

_—Em_

I handed the pen back and hurried back to the food court. When I returned, Sam and Tyler were already sitting at a table. Talking to each other about something that I didn't catch.

"Sorry," I apologized, sliding into a seat across from Sam. "Had to take a phone call." Sam pushed a salad towards me and I grinned. "Where'd you go?" I asked. "Thanks for the salad, how'd you know?"

"The McDonald's stand," Sam replied, digging into her own salad while Tyler wolfed down his Happy Meal. "And I figured, if you're a hard core runner like you say you are, you probably don't want to eat their burgers."

I laughed. "It doesn't matter. Thanks though."

Lunch was pretty interesting. Tyler kept telling us stories about school and how his teacher is always making the kids laugh. While Sam must've heard the story a hundred times, she acted like this was the first time she's ever heard it.

"So, Sam," I said, taking a swig of water. "What about your family?"

Sam bit her lip, her brow furrowing. "I don't... really... remember." My lips pursed. "I was found by Ryan. That's Tyler's older brother. I... was made aware that I'd been rescued from a burning building. Something must've hit my head and caused me to forget. But the police found a name tag for a nearby school, ran it through the databases, and came up with nothing."

My mind wandered back to the warehouse. Hopefully Heather would be able to tell me _something._

"All I've got is my name. And these..." Sam rolled up her sleeves to show her forearms. Identical tattoos rested on each arm, with swirling designs that went from the wrist to the inner-elbow. Dead center inside of the designs was a symbol I knew well: the Assassin insignia. The one that represented our order. "Weird, huh? But I like it. Kids my age usually have tattoos, but not like these, so it gets a lot of attention..." Sam rolled her sleeves down, effectively hiding the ink. "I like long-sleeved shirts anyway. Besides, make-up would be too expensive to cover this up every day." She smirked.

_And that's why I have my tattoo on my ring finger,_ I thought with a smile.

"Anyhow, I've got Ryan and Tyler. It's already been a year and I'm not even on a missing person's poster, so whoever I was with before probably didn't want me in the first place. I can move on with that thought, because I'm needed here. I'm useful here."

"So, you have amnesia?" I questioned.

"I guess so," she replied.

I pushed some lettuce around. "What if I helped you? I have the resources for it."

"I don't want to waste your money," she stated.

I smiled slyly. "Oh, you wouldn't be wasting my money. I have connections." _To an Order that can track down anyone on the face of earth, _I added mentally. _Well they can track_ almost _everyone..._

Sam shook her head. "I don't want to bother you anymore than I have already."

I wanted to push the subject, but I wisely kept my mouth shut. Tyler started talking about how I was the only person in the entire world that could probably beat Sam in a race and we both laughed.

"I don't know, Tyler. Sam gave me a run for my money," I told the little boy.

"Race her now then!"

Sam chuckled. "We can't race in a crowd like this."

I smirked. "It'd be interesting though." I could race through crowds as if I was racing Sam in that race. We kept talking and laughing at Tyler when he told us about the time that his teacher forgot to feed the class pet.

Eventually, Casey sent me a text:

_"Done, where r u?"_

I sighed, typing my location. "I hate to go, but my friend is waiting for me. I'll see you around?" I said, getting the envelope ready.

"Definitely, thanks for buying Tyler that gun," Sam smiled.

I snickered. "I hope he puts it to good use." I walked around and whispered into Tyler's ear. "Aim for her head." Tyler snickered as I stood up and walked behind Sam, slipping the envelope into her jacket pocket. I dumped my garbage, vanishing into the crowd easily.

However, I made a circle and watched as Sam took the envelope out of her pocket and read the note. Opening the envelope hastily, she shook the money out; counting it at least three times to make sure she counted right. I only took three hundred dollars out of my account, I'd just tell Heather that Casey ran out of cash. She'd believe it easily enough.

"It's the least I could do," I muttered.

Grinning, I began walking towards Casey when I bumped into someone wearing a blue jacket with dark blue jeans. "Watch it—!" My voice closed off as the person I bumped into turned around.

Pale blonde hair, pale blue eyes, a smile on his face. My heart started to thump behind my ears so loudly that I feared he could hear it. My eyes darted to his wrist and I saw the slight puff beneath it. _He's armed._

"Hey, Emma," Tanner greeted.

_Oh shit..._


	28. It Has Begun

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:**

**It Has Begun  
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"Em?" Tanner said, that smile still on his face. "You okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

I blinked a few times, trying to make sense of everything. "H-Hey Tanner, I didn't expect to see you." My eyes darted to his right arm, easily spotting the blade that rested beneath the sleeve. _Abstergo _really_ needs to stop copying the Assassin's…_

He shrugged helplessly. "Well, I tried calling your cell, but it must be turned off." I reached into my jacket pocket, removed my phone, and checked to see if it was turned off. It wasn't. I brought my eyes back up to Tanner, whose eyes were lit with humor. _Okay, does he want to kill me? _"Or is it on silent… _again_?"

"It's on silent," I muttered, slightly embarrassed. _Mental note, change phone number effective immediately. _"How was California? Casey said that you ran into a girl that almost looks like me—?" I bit on my tongue so hard I tasted blood. _Oh great move, Emma, _I muttered mentally to myself. "Looks like you got a tan while you were at it.," I added, trying to pathetically change the subject.

Tanner chuckled. "Yeah, I was in math when she stumbled in. I thought she _was _you for a moment, but, yeah…" he trailed off, running his hand through his hair once or twice. "How're things going? I mean, you've been through a lot recently." He extended his arms out in front of him. "I guess I did get a tan after all. I thought I was part albino or something."

I laughed at the last part of his statement. "Well, I'm glad you're back." _I'm so dead. _"I'm okay," I answered my ex-friend's question. "I take it day by day." I pretended that he wasn't talking about Casey and that he was talking about my dad's passing.

"That's the best way to do it," Tanner replied. We stood there in an awkward silence for a moment before he cleared his throat again. "Did you hear the news?" he asked. _Here it comes. _I started finding possible escape routes that I could take if Tanner decided to attack me. However, the chances of him attacking me while in a crowded mall were slim-to-none.

"What news?" I asked, playing dumb.

Tanner opened his mouth to answer my question when his pocket went off. He reached for his phone, glancing at the number. "Sorry, Em. I gotta take this." His finger hovered over the "answer" button, waiting for me to say something.

"No problem," I smiled.

When Tanner turned his back to take the call, I slid back into the crowd, making my way to Casey. When I was at a safe distance (which was on the other side of the mall) I quickly dialed her number.

_"Emma! Are you okay?!" _Casey nearly shouted. _"Don't worry, I'm in the car."_

I took a shaky breath. "I-I'm fine," I said as I pushed past a woman who couldn't stop admiring a diamond necklace in the jewelry display window. "I wasn't expecting him to confront me so soon."

_"What did he say?!"_

"He didn't say _anything _about you—I think he _was _gonna say something, but his phone went off and I took that as my chance—."

_"Emma?!" _Casey nearly shouted into my phone. I turned it off as I saw Sam walking around, trying to probably find me. _Oh great, first Tanner now Sam, I _really _hate the mall now. _Sighing, I found a large group of people gathered around something, pulling myself deep into the crowd, Sam and Tyler passed by without a second glance.

"Keep it," I hissed when she passed my hiding spot. She stopped dead in her tracks. I moved to a new crowd. She heard that, _dammit! _

"Sam?" Tyler said.

Sam narrowed her eyes at where I was standing a few moments ago. "Thought I heard something," she muttered. "Em must've gone home. Shoot."

Tyler shrugged. "The note _did say _it was to help us."

"But the amount she gave us is too much, Tyler," Sam replied. "Especially after she bought you that toy gun."

"We can use it for groceries then."

Sam laughed. "Tyler, we could buy the entire store with this money!" Tyler shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. I remained hidden as Sam and Tyler continued to walk through the plaza area that I was in. I quickly sent a text to Casey:

_"Hiding from Sam, I'll explain later." _Hitting send, I stayed hidden within the crowd; only to nearly have a heart-attack when I spotted Tanner walking through the area.

"I lost sight of her!" he growled into his phone. "No, this won't be a problem."

I heard static on the other end of that call. Whoever Tanner was talking to, they seemed angry. _Perhaps his father and mother, _I assumed.

Suddenly, my mind flew to Sam and Tyler. _Did Tanner see me with them? Are they going to be taken?! _Scanning the crowd quickly, I was relieved to see that Sam and Tyler had taken off.

"About time," I grumbled, pulling my hood over my head. Blinking, the world warped into Eagle Vision and I saw Tanner still searching for me; while I spotted Sam walking towards the other exit; holding Tyler's hand. _Why is she so bright—wait…_why _is she_ blue_?!_

It wasn't easy getting out of the mall with the knowledge that Tanner could possibly be following me. But I managed to get back to Casey, who was in the car, her face hidden. I rapped on the glass twice, startling her briefly until she unlocked the passenger side door for me.

"God, Emma!" Casey reached over and hugged me. "What the heck?!"

I shuddered, rubbing my hands together then placing them in front of the heater. "I'd like to know the same thing." I crossed my arms after a short moment.

Casey dropped me off at my place about an hour-and-a-half later. The roads were clogged with traffic and needless to say, my infamous sailor's mouth kicked in along with Casey's. Heather _did _say that we possibly descended from a couple of pirates…

"There you go, Em." Casey parked in my driveway. "Do we have patrols tonight?"

I shook my head. "With the runts out of school, we don't have to."

"'Runts'?"

I smirked. "The younger Assassins. But if we get a mission, I'll call you, all right?" Casey nodded. "Dress warm if we do go out. Doubt we will, but you never know."

"Thanks for the tip—thanks for the jacket by the way. I never got a chance to thank you." She fished in her purse before handing me a credit card. "Tell Erik 'thanks'. He loaned me his card."

"How did you get his card to begin with?" I asked.

Casey shrugged. "He gave it to me before I left the other day."

I grinned. "Heather's gonna wonder why her _son _bought underwear and bras at Victoria's Secret." I crossed my arms.

"She's also gonna wonder why you took out three hundred dollars for no apparent reason." I smiled. I'd told Casey about Sam and Tyler; adding the bit about buying Tyler that toy gun and giving Sam the three hundred dollars.

"She'll understand, it's not like I took out five-hundred—I was tempted to, really I was—but I decided against it," I muttered. "I don't know _where _my family is getting this money, seeing as how the Order was nearly wiped out eleven years ago, but, my dad told me to never question it."

Casey smiled. "Your dad's a smart man."

"Got that right." I shook my head. "Before I go, do you have a thing for my cousin?"

My words had the desired effect because Casey froze for a moment. "Um...er..." she stammered.

"I mean, it's okay if you do. I think he likes you to. What guy would loan a girl his credit card to buy stuff from _Victoria's Secret_? If _Derek _found out that Erik loaned you his card..." I smiled, envisioning several scenarios in my mind. Most of which would end up with Derek and I mocking Erik for the rest of his life.

Casey placed a hand over my mouth. "_Please _keep this between Erik, you, and I. _Please_!"

I pushed her hand away. "All right, all right. I promise."

"You better," she muttered.

_/-\_

Sunday, the worst day of the week. Mostly because I had school tomorrow and Tanner would be in attendance. But on the plus side: short week for Thanksgiving. I spent Saturday at home, training Casey with some hand-to-hand combat, along with a few lessons in blade-to-hand combat. Her free-running is up to par, but nowhere _near _master level. _It'll take time,_ I reminded myself.

I was busy finishing up some math homework (while watching a documentary on King Tutankhamen) when the phone went off.

"Emma! Can you get that?!" Heather shouted from the basement. "I'm in the middle of something!"

I paused for a moment, hearing the sounds of tires squealing downstairs. "Geez mom, you're a worse driver in the virtual world than you are in the real world!" I heard Erik groan.

"I'm not as bad as your cousins!"

"WE HEARD THAT!" Derek and I shouted at the same time. The phone rang again.

"Emma, can you get that?!" Heather repeated.

I swiftly got to my feet and answered the phone. "Got it!" I shouted around the house so Derek didn't answer. "Hello?" I said into the phone.

_"Emma! It's Simon, I need some information on a file that your dad had." _I heard typing on the other end.

I got up from the couch and strode up the steps to my dad's old office. "What's the file?" I asked, grabbing the spare key he hid beneath his desk.

_"Uh…we need the file that dates back to the late nineties/early two-thousands."_

I rolled my eyes, walking to the file cabinet that dated between the nineties and two-thousands. "Can you narrow it down for me? Like a name or something?"

_"Sorry, Em. We're updating the files to the computers and Stephan has a file that he'd kept under lock and key for a long time. He didn't give us a name or anything. Just the time-frame that the mission happened in._

"Probably had good reason to." I opened the drawer and groaned. "Come on, dad!" There were _at least _a hundred files in this drawer, almost all of them were between the year I was born and 2008.

I held the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I rifled through the drawer. Only to frown when my hand clasped around something small and _sharp_. Carefully, I pulled the shard out and examined it closely. It didn't seem too remarkable. Sure, it had some strange markings on it, but other than that, nothing really was of interest so I set it on the end table near the window.

A warm sensation moved from my fingers, up my arm, and concentrated in my shoulder a few moments later. _What the fuck?_ Shrugging, I kept searching for what Simon asked for, when I suddenly felt sick. A bead of sweat trickled from my face as my vision began to darken. _What the hell is wrong with me? _I wondered. Shaking my head, I continued to search for the file until I found the right one.

"Found it, Simon, what do you need to know?" I flipped through the file to see initials. _S. A. W? _I examined the file closely and found what I was looking for. "You're requesting the file on Number Four? William's been adamant about her 'death'."

_"I know, Em. But like you, I know she's not dead." _Simon took a breath. _"I just need a few missions."_

I flipped through the file a few times. "Geez, how many did she go on?!" Simon chuckled into the phone. "No picture…no name…" I frowned. "She's like the freaking Shadow-Step or something!"

_"Focus Emma. I need a mission she went on back in 2000, do you have it?" _I pulled the file out.

"Got it," I replied. "What do you need from it?"

Simon asked for the information and I readily gave it to him. _"Thanks Em, see you around—did Heather tell you the results of that green cloth you found?"_

"No," I said, shaking my head. My vision darkening again. "I'd like to know, since the damned thing gave me a headache to end all headaches!"

_"Well, Veronica figured it out. A prep school in Queens. That's all we got from it."_

I pursed my lips. "No DNA?"

_"Nope, it was mostly gasoline and _your _DNA on there."_

I sighed. "Thanks Simon," I said.

_"Anytime, I gotta go." _Before I could say 'good-bye', Simon hung up so the beeping noise was the only thing I was hearing. I organized the file again and put it back into place, locking it in the drawer. That shard I found was still sitting on the table so I picked it up.

"What are you…?" I wondered aloud, turning the shard in my hand. Strange symbols began to appear in my vision. Symbols that I never saw before.

My vision violently darkened, but cleared quickly. "This is too freaky," I grumbled. I put the shard on my dad's desk and made to leave the room, stopping when I gripped the door-frame tightly, the area around me spinning and warping so bad that I thought I was going to be sick. "H—!" My voice faltered as my vision blurred; only to focus a few moments later.

_What the hell? What's going on?! _I was standing behind a woman; she was wearing white, a bracer on her left arm. She was immersed in something. Walking over, the woman's face was concealed in shadow. Her clothes were different, but there wasn't anyway for me to describe them. I made to move her hood, only to have my hand go through empty air. _This is too strange..._

"Hello?" I said to the woman. She kept writing as if she couldn't hear me. My eyes watched her as she wrote. _Arabic? _I made to touch the woman again, but the scene changed. I was in Syria—no England?—whatever was happening, I was seeing different places and it was giving me a migraine.

The images stopped, only to play out a scene where a man dressed in Assassin white was hunched over a girl. The man was holding something, a sphere that was glowing brightly, and within moments, I was blinded by a golden light.

Finally, what seemed like ages, the visions stopped. Releasing the door-frame, I blinked._ I'm home, that's all that matters._ Rubbing my eyes for a moment, it felt like there was a presence in my mind now.

_**"It has begun." **_

I blinked again. _Where the hell did _that _come from?!_

"Emma," Heather said as I walked downstairs, rubbing my forehead slightly. I thought the headaches my Eagle Vision gave me were bad; this headache was literally hammering my brain apart and I had no idea how I got it. "You and Casey have a mission _tonight_."

"What is it?" I muttered. _Damn, and I was enjoying my three day vacation from work._

Heather handed me the note she made when Shaun or William himself called while I was upstairs. "There's some Templar activity in this train yard. Bill doesn't like it."

"The old man doesn't like _anything_." A smirk appeared on Heather's face. "But all right, I'll give Casey a call and let her know that I'll be picking her up." I read the note for a moment, making sure I remembered the address.

"Emma, are you feeling okay?" Derek said, jogging over to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I didn't even realize he was home. I thought he had the afternoon patrols today. "You look paler than usual."

I tensed at the touch, biting my lip in preparation for the pain, but none came—_none came_?! Ripping myself from Derek's touch, I darted up the steps to the bathroom as I removed my shirt. I stopped in front of the bathroom mirror, my right hand gently tracing the place that the scar _had _been.

_A warm sensation moved from my fingers, up my arm, and concentrated in my shoulder._

**_"We built you in our own image."_**

"What the hell?!" I applied different pressure to my shoulder and it felt normal. No pain, nothing. "What could've done this?" _Where the hell is that voice coming from?!_

Heather appeared in the doorway, holding my discarded shirt. "Derek thought that it'd be wise if I came and returned this to you."

I took the shirt, placing it on the counter. "It's healed." I ignored the statement about my brother.

Heather's brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

"My shoulder! It-It's healed! Look!" I placed her hand on my once bad shoulder. "Squeeze it." Heather did as told, her eyes widening when she realized I wasn't cursing in pain or holding back a scream of pain.

"What could've done this?" Heather asked; removing her hand as I replaced my shirt to my being. "You didn't go to the doctor did you—?"

I frowned. "I haven't gone anywhere _near _the doctor!"

"Then what did you do?" Heather prompted.

I shrugged. "I was rifling through my dad's old documents, looking for a file that Simon had called about when I found this strange shard. It didn't look important so I ignored it until…"

"Until what?" Heather said tersely.

I shrugged again. "I saw a brief image of a woman with really dark brown hair dressed in white—I assume an Assassin?—writing something down. Then the image changed from that to Syria, England, and other places that I couldn't name." I bit my lip. "Then I heard this strange voice."

Heather stared at me for a moment; a sliver of fear ran through her eyes. "Emma, do you realize what you touched?"

I shook my head. "I'd like to know." _I would also like to know "what has begun" and what that strange voice is!_

Heather stared into my eyes, the seriousness in them made me cringe. "Emma, you touched a _Piece of Eden_."


	29. Grave Decisions

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:**

**Grave Decisions **

"So," Casey said as she slid into the passenger's seat of my car, "what mission do we have tonight? I was enjoying my three day vacation."

I laughed. "Same here," I said as I pulled onto the street. "But we got a call about a Templar causing some trouble in a train yard. William wants us to put an end to it."

"When you say 'us' you really mean you, right?" Casey asked.

I frowned. "He asked for 'Master Hale' and 'Apprentice Thrones' specifically." I turned down a narrow road. "What's your 'rents up to right now?"

Casey shrugged, rubbing her wrist where the hidden blade rested. "Don't know. Mom said she had some things to finish up at work and my step-dad said he had to see why Pat was messing up some things at the construction site."

Casey's step-dad, Frank, was working on the new World Trade Center and he was constantly working. However, small mercies were given so that Frank wasn't constantly working and leaving Casey and her mom alone for so long.

"He's taking great pride in that project, isn't he?" I said.

"Big time," Casey stated, rubbing her wrist again. "Damn it, this stupid blade is rubbing my wrist raw."

I smirked. "I have some lotion in the glove compartment." Casey reached for the glove box and retrieved the lotion.

"Thanks." She pushed the sleeve of her jacket up, removed the hidden blade and applied the lotion to the afflicted area. "Why didn't we take your Mercedes?"

I rolled my eyes. "If I took the Mercedes, we would be doing the opposite of blending in. That's why I took Heather's car without her realizing it—." My phone going off cut me off from finishing my sentence. Grabbing it, I checked to see who was calling. "Speak of the devil," I murmured as I pressed "talk". "Hey Heather, what's up?"

_"Why did you take my car?"_

"Why did you take mine the other day? Erik or Derek would've loaned you theirs."

_"It was the first set of car keys I took from the bowl. You better not scratch it up."_

I snorted, "Yeah? Then why is Erik removing a scratch that's on the driver side of my car? What'd you do? Side-swipe a semi?" Heather didn't answer and hung up. "So," I said returning my attention to my friend. "When did your mom and step-dad leave?"

"My mom left early this morning. Frank has been gone since noon." I caught the slightest edge of fear in her voice.

"I'm sure they're both fine, Case," I reassured her. "I know how your mom likes to talk."

Casey shrugged. "Maybe… I don't know." She rubbed her eyes for a moment. "Have you heard from Tanner since the mall incident?"

"No," I said, frowning. "And that's what's bothering me."

Casey and I didn't really talk for the rest of the trip to the train yard. It was already dinner time, so the train yard was likely to be almost empty, making our lives ten-times easier. The less people to hear the fight and screams as I stabbed my hidden blade into the Templar's throat, the better.

We arrived about quarter-after-five and like I predicted, most of the train yard was empty. Most of the workers were heading towards the station to clock-out for the day.

"What about the night shift?" Casey murmured as she slid her hood up over her face.

_Damn it_! I forgot about the night shift. "We should be fast and accurate then. Nothing like a little pressure to make you feel alive." I didn't see her eyes, but I was pretty sure Casey was glaring at me. "Just stick to the shadows and the ground. I'll climb up and jump from train car-to train car," I stated.

"Fine."

Without another word, I leapt onto a boxcar and started walking along the top, jumping occasionally to get to the next one. Blinking, my Eagle Vision activated and I didn't really see anything that'd tell me Templars were here. That was the case, until I saw three figures cloaked in a red aura gathered in a small, circular area.

I crouched low so that I would be spotted. "Case," I muttered into the Bluetooth, "I think I found'em."

"_On my way, should I stick to the shadows?_"

"Definitely. There're three Templars and you wouldn't survive one of them—at least not yet."

Case signed off while I watched the three black-hooded figures. Two were female and the other was male obviously. They seemed to be conversing rather frantically, the male was angry about something, the way he crossed his arms and stood… The two girls eventually sighed and ran off in the opposite direction that Casey was approaching.

"He's not gonna live to see tomorrow if _she _is the one coming," the smaller Templar said. _Why does that voice sound so damned familiar?_

"I don't care, he thinks if he can handle himself against her, then let him learn the hard way. I know the Assassins and _she _won't hold back. It's not in her nature," the taller Templar stated in a cold tone.

When the two girls were gone, I returned my attention back to the lone Templar. "How stupid do you have to be to let two of your 'partners' leave? Especially when you know Assassins are gonna show up?" I asked sarcastically, standing up so the Templar could see me.

He spun around. "About time you Assassins showed up," he growled.

I remained on the edge of the car. "We come on our own terms," I replied. "Not on yours."

The Templar smirked, crossing his arms. "That's a lie." It was uncomfortably silent for a solid minute. "You come when your Mentor orders you to come. Just like a _dog_."

I clenched and unclenched my hands. "Fair enough. Why cause trouble _here _of all places then?" I gestured to the train yard. "This isn't anything of value to the Assassins or Templars." The Templar chuckled. "You know how this will end," I said in a cold tone.

Shaking his head for a moment, the Templar looked up at me. "Of course," he replied. "We'll fight and you'll die. Simple." He grinned. "But, it'd be easier if you even the odds."

"I don't play fair," I argued.

The Templar kept that arrogant smirk on his face while he removed his hood to reveal pale blonde hair and blue eyes. Tanner.

"Hello, Emma," Tanner said while looking up at me. "My friends told me you'd come if I caused enough trouble."

"_Emma_!" Casey screamed through my Bluetooth. I shut it off.

"What 'trouble' could you have caused?" I asked.

"_That_," Tanner said, pointing to something hanging on a pipe. Narrowing my eyes, my stomach fell to the ground.

"MOM!" Casey screamed. Hanging from the pipe that was exposed, was Mrs. Thrones, clutching at the rope around her neck.

I pressed my Bluetooth. "I need backup, _NOW_!" I roared before I switched links. "Casey, get up there and cut the rope!"

Tanner spun around, ignoring what I just shouted completely. "What was that—?!" I jumped him. I didn't care anymore. I jumped from the train car and landed squarely on Tanners back. He grunted when he hit the ground and struggled for a time before his elbow connected with my gut.

I rolled to my feet and wiped my face to remove the dirt. "Why Tanner?! Why kill Casey's mom?!" Mrs. Thrones was beginning to pale considerably.

"Because _you _killed Casey! I can pin the blame on you. There's enough evidence—!"

"CASEY ISN'T DEAD!" I screamed at him. "They lied to you Tanner. The Templars lied to you!"

Not listening to me, Tanner swung a punch for my face and I dropped to the ground, kicking his legs out from under him. He landed on the ground back first, his head slamming against the ground as I spun to my feet.

"Don't draw the line, Tanner," I begged.

Tanner hastily got to his feet and unleashed that stick-thing. My hands were raised in front of me, ready for any attack that Tanner would throw my way. He had _no idea _that he was facing a Master Assassin. A quick second later, Tanner swung at my head again; only to hit empty air when I ducked and pushed his right arm up far enough for me to connect my fist to his sternum.

The breath momentarily left his lungs when my fist made impact. Staggering, Tanner gulped down air, his blue eyes iced over with hate, anger, and grief. However, the breather I gave myself didn't last very long because the next thing I knew, I was matching Tanner fist-for-fist as he continuously sent punch after punch my way.

"Hold…still…!" Tanner grunted when I had moved my body so my right knee connected with his abdomen.

"You have no idea who you're messing with, Tanner," I hissed into his ear before he fell back again.

Groaning for a moment, it seemed as though I had beaten Tanner. _Kill him; it's what you're trained to do. _I shook my head. "Rest in peace," I muttered, turning my back on the Templar. Even though I wanted to kill him, I wouldn't do it.

_"Never turn your back on a Templar," Orson growled._

The gravel shifted ever so slightly, the wind whistled as something was being forced through it at a fast pace. I ducked, a hidden blade slicing open air where my head had been. I spun again, my feet connecting with Tanner's stomach; and I kicked him back so that he hit the side of the train car.

"They said you weren't…weren't…" he panted.

I placed my hands on my hips. "That I wasn't what?" An eyebrow rose. "They didn't tell you my rank, did they?" Tanner bared his teeth at me. I flashed my left hand. "That tattoo you see? That marks me as a _Master Assassin_." I ducked and heard a _crack _at the same time Tanner cursed profusely.

"You bitch! You broke my hand!"

"How could _I _break your hand? I didn't hit the broadside of a train car."

We kept fighting like that. I mostly avoided his attacks, hoping he'd wear out and let me finish this once and for all, but my hopes were slim. Within seconds, he unleashed a dagger (holding it in his good hand) and charged at me, the dagger raised above his head. With my mouth set in a firm line, I unleashed my hidden blades and crossed them so the dagger would be caught between them. The force of the attack pushed me to the ground, on my back; with Tanner on top of me, trying to dig the blade into my throat.

"You will die…" Tanner hissed.

I didn't answer him as I found renewed strength and pushed him off of me, causing him to stagger. The dagger clattered to the ground and I kicked it away from us. Retracting my hidden blades, I removed a throwing knife and lodged it into Tanner's shoulder.

"YOU BITCH!" he hollered in pain, removing the weapon.

"Sticks and stones, Tanner. Sticks and stones," I replied in a dead monotone.

I took my eyes off of Tanner for a second and spotted Casey as she cut the rope. Thankfully backup arrived a few seconds ago, so another Assassin caught Mrs. Thrones. "Get her to the hospital!" I commanded them.

"At once, Master Hale," the Assassin replied.

"You," I said to Casey. "Go with them."

Casey nodded and darted off with the Assassin. I'd join her as soon as I was finished with Tanner.

"Are you proud of yourself?" I asked him, walking around him. "Are you proud that you took Casey's mother from her?"

"You took Casey from her mother! I'm only reuniting them and ending you!" he spat at me.

I lowered my hood. "I. Didn't. Kill. Her," I said in slow syllables. "It's against the Assassin's Creed to raise your blade against the flesh of an innocent."

He lunged at me again, only to smash face first into the dirt. I pinned Tanner to the gravel, my hidden blade pressed against his throat. "This is the first time I've used my weapons against you, Tanner." He squirmed. "My throwing knife was only meant to give me a breather."

"_Do it_!" he spat at me. "Kill me like how you killed my step-sister!"

I tensed my arm. "I didn't know, Tanner."

"But you don't regret it either!"

I nodded; a grimace on my face. "I regret nothing I did that night, Tanner." I swallowed. "Like how I don't regret doing what I'm about to do."

He kept spitting insults at me.

"May you find clarity in the next world, for this world has clouded your mind," I said. "Rest in peace." I shoved the blade into Tanner's neck, effectively ending his life. I felt pain and grief, surely. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

My moment to reflected on what I just did was short-lived when I heard people screaming.

"I heard something over here!"

Pulling my hood over my face, I hastily ran from the area I was in and rushed to my car. Ripping the hood from my face, I turned the car on and hit the gas, speeding through traffic until I reached the hospital. Forcing the car into a small parking space, I removed my jacket and weapons so I was only in my jeans and long-sleeve shirt that I wore.

I rushed to the front desk and asked for Margret Thrones.

"Upstairs, second floor," the old receptionist told me. The look on her face told me what I feared: it didn't look good.

Thanking her, I nearly shoved a elderly woman aside, but easily slid past her. I hit the "Up" button repeatedly until an elevator opened up. I rushed in (after the previous occupants filed out) and hit the number "2" button repeatedly.

"Wait!" I stopped the door from closing just as the woman that I nearly shoved aside walked in. "Thank you, miss."

"No problem," I replied. I anxiously tapped my foot as the doors closed. _Why is this thing so goddamn slow?!_

"Are you in a hurry, dear?" the woman asked as she pressed the number "4" button.

I nodded, not looking at the woman. My eyes were solely focused on the monitor that was above the door. "Yeah, my friend's mom is in the hospital. Someone broke in and tried to strangle her..."

The woman gasped. "Oh my." I nodded again. "Well, I'm going to be seeing my husband. He had a stroke a few days ago. Bless his soul."

"I'm so sorry..." I murmured, memories of the news of my dad's diagnoses still seemed fresh in my mind.

The woman laughed gently. I found that at the sound of her laughter, I relaxed. It was like bells. "Don't worry, dear. Harvey is as tough as a bull and as stubborn as an ox."

_Sounds like Derek. _I smiled, still not letting my eyes wander. "Well, I hope everything is okay."

The woman gently grabbed my hand and patted it once. "Dear, you cannot control what happens to your friend's mother. But you can be there for your friend." I looked at the ground for a moment. "Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness." At that, the door _dinged _and opened. "Excuse me, miss?" I turned back. "I'll keep you and your friend in my prayers."

My eyes widened at the woman. I wanted to say something, _anything _to make up for my behavior earlier, but it was too late. I made to go back in the elevator, but the doors were closed, so my hand rested on the metal. "Thanks," I replied.

After a second, I rushed to the waiting room. Heather was the first one to greet me, grabbing my arm and taking me to a secluded spot in the waiting room where Derek and Erik were sitting.

"What's going on?!" I asked breathlessly. Hoping that there was an act of God and Mrs. Thrones was going to be okay.

Heather and the boys looked withdrawn—more so Erik than Derek and Heather. "She didn't make it Emma," Heather whispered. "They have her on life support right now. Frank is going to be…"

_To be pulling the plug._ "How was she when she came in?" I asked in a wavering voice.

"The doctors told Frank when he came that her pulse was barely there. She was struggling for a long time, Emma," Heather whispered. "Even if she survives, there's a good chance she'll have brain damage."

"At least she'll be alive!" I retorted. _God! Mom, dad, I wish you two were here right now. _I wiped my eyes, unaware that tears had started to fall from them.

Heather patted my shoulder, prompting me to sit down. "Casey is in there right now, saying good-bye." Heather gestured to the bag next to Erik. That must've been where Casey hid her Assassin gear. "Emma…"

_No, I don't want to be here!_ I wiped my eyes again before I stood up and stomped out of the waiting room, towards the elevator only to jump aside when a gurney nearly ran me over. My eyes lingered on who was on the gurney. _It was the woman from the elevator_!

"What happened?!" a nurse shouted.

"She came to see her husband and just collapsed!"

The woman lifted her head enough, a smile on her pained face when her eyes reached me. "I'll keep you in my prayers," I murmured to her.

Taking a shaky breath, I raced to my car and headed to the one place that I could think clearly.

I went to see my parents.


	30. Pearls of Wisdom

**CHAPTER THIRTY:**

**Pearls of Wisdom**

I sat there, knees up to my chest, chin resting on my knees, and my arms wrapped around my legs as I stared at the headstone. The guilt was worse than the grief I _should _be feeling—especially after what had happened with Tanner.

"I-It's my fault," I muttered to myself. "It's my fault." I stared at my mom's name. "What do I do, mom? I messed up and now Casey's mom is dead and Tanner is dead." _Even though Tanner tried to kill me to begin with..._

Behind me, I heard a car approach and stop. _Oh great, moment ruined, _I thought bitterly. I waited patiently for the driver to walk to another headstone, when I recognized the barely audible footsteps heading for me.

"What do you want, Heather?" I asked, not moving my eyes from the headstone.

The footsteps stopped. "I just wanted to see if you're okay—."

"Of course I'm not okay!" I turned my head. "It's my fault Casey's in this mess! It's _my fault _that she's an Assassin, it's _my fault _that her mother is dead, and I'm pretty damn sure it's _my fault _that she has _no one left_ to turn to!" I returned my eyes to the headstone.

Heather crossed her arms. "You're so much like your mother it's not even funny—but at least you're not afraid of spiders like she was."

I cracked a smile that Heather didn't see. "Hmph."

"Mind if I join you? It's been a while since I visited my sister."

I scooted over. "Sure. I'm sure she misses you too."

Heather sat down next to me, Indian-style. "You know, when we were kids, Cheryl and I would _constantly _rip on each other." I smirked. "Kind of like how you and Derek are always going at it—but our pranks never went as far as ordering _electric eels _online."

I smiled. "Derek and I don't do pranks half-assed."

"I know you two don't, I could write a best-seller with all the pranks and outcomes I've witnessed," Heather remarked. "You know," Heather said as she moved a stray piece of hair out of my face. "If your mom was still here, she'd be telling you that it's not your fault for what happened."

I rolled my eyes. "I know. She'd probably tell me that things happen and that I need to learn from this experience." I gritted my teeth to fight back the tears.

Heather laughed. "Oh, _that's _something _my _mom would say." Heather rubbed my back. "Look, I'm not Cheryl—I never will be her—but I know she would tell you that, even though you hold the blame for everything, Casey needs you now more than ever."

I frowned. "Casey doesn't want me around, Heather. If I hadn't been so reckless that day in the alley… then none of this would've ever happened!"

"You don't know what would've happened if you never revealed yourself to Casey that day. You also don't know what Casey is feeling at the moment." Heather rubbed my back, sighing loudly. "Oh Cheryl, how I wish you were here to help me…" Heather stole a glance at me. "…smack some sense into your daughter."

I glowered at Heather but didn't have the energy to reply. We sat there for what seemed like forever, until Heather placed a flower on the headstone. "I need to head back." She stood up; I could feel her eyes on me. "Are you going to be okay Emma?"

"I'll be fine," I replied while I stood up. "Look, I'll call Casey later. I just… want to be alone for a while."

Heather nodded, embracing me in a tight hug. "Sounds good. Be home before dinner, all right?" She pulled away, wiping a tear that must've escaped my eye.

"'Kay."

Heather walked back to the car (ironically she took my car again), driving off. When she was gone, I sat back down in front of my parents' graves, just sitting there, not really sure on what to say.

"I miss you, dad. A lot. I wish you were here to help me figure this mess out," I murmured. "I'm just so confused right now..."

"Em?" a familiar voice said.

My brow furrowed at the voice. "Sam?" I said, turning my head enough to see her standing behind me. "What're you doing _here_ of all places?" I asked.

Sam shrugged. "Ryan and Tyler are here visit their grandparents. What're _you_ doing here?"

I sighed, returning my eyes to the headstone. "My friend's mom unexpectedly died and I came to visit my parents for... help."

Sam frowned. "But... wasn't that your mom? I saw a woman that looked like you leave a moment ago."

I shook my head. "My aunt. She's my legal guardian until I'm done with high school." I scooted over. "You can have a seat if you want."

"Thanks." Sam sat down next to me and took a sip from her soda. "So, your last name is Hale then?" Sam quipped while reading my parents' headstone.

"Yeah."

"Not to sound mean, but, I'm glad I don't know my parents—or remember them, actually. I mean, like I said at the mall, I haven't been on a missing person's poster and it's been two years since I got my amnesia," Sam said with a slight frown on her face.

I brought my knees up to my chest. "Lucky you," I replied. "I never knew my mom. She died when I was just a baby." I glanced back at where Heather had taken off. "My aunt is the closest thing to having my actual mother around."

We sat there for a moment, not really talking.

"So," Sam said after a moment. "Care to explain why you 'left' three hundred dollars in my pocket the other day?"

I smirked. "I can't do something nice?" I remarked.

Sam narrowed her eyes at me. "Can you just tell me _why _you gave me the three hundred dollars?"

"I felt bad about winning the race. I didn't know it was for money and honestly..." I glanced around. "I'm not part of the track team. The coach was desperate and he knew I was capable of running fast." I laughed nervously. "I didn't think he expected me to run _that _fast though." I sighed. "Where'd the money go to anyways? Since I didn't go back to receive my award."

Sam shrugged. "I'm guessing your school. It's okay, Em. You don't need to feel bad about winning."

I shrugged a response. "Maybe you'd feel better about accepting the three hundred if I told you I originally wanted to give you five hundred dollars."

Sam stared at me with wide eyes. "Where the hell do you get this kind of money?!"

I shrugged again. "I honestly _don't know_." My brow furrowed. "My dad was pretty high up in his job... I think he was the assistant to one of the CEO's for this company and he was given special privileges."

Sam studied me for a moment. "Where'd you get the sweet jacket?"

I paled. I'd forgotten I was wearing my white Assassin jacket. _Way to go Em! _I glanced at the sky. _Enjoying the show? _I thought to my parents. "It was a gift," I replied after a time.

"Huh... Sorry it's just I saw this girl with the _exact _same jacket on the other week but she was on top of a building." Sam's brow furrowed. "I mean, like, this girl was _sitting on the edge _of the building as if she was sitting on a bench."

"Suicidal?" I offered, a grin twitching at my lips. _So it was _Sam _that tried to coax me down the other week._

Sam shrugged while taking a swig of her cherry coke. "I don't know. I saw her again the next day though. She can climb the fire escapes like a freakin' chimpanzee!"

I couldn't hold back a laugh at that. I'd been called a monkey, ape, cat, and the occasional jackass but _never _a chimpanzee. "Wow, too bad I couldn't meet her," I replied.

"Not to sound weird but... could you throw the hood up?"

I shook my head. If I threw my hood up, Sam would put the pieces together that it was _me _on the roof and she'd know something was off about me. I didn't know Sam, but I wanted to keep her out of trouble—_my _troubles at least—and the only way I could do that is by keeping the hood down and lie to her.

"You should talk to your friend," Sam said, undaunted by my refusal to reveal my Assassin secret.

"Excuse me?"

Sam nodded. "I think you should talk to her. It's not your fault her mother died and I have a feeling your friend needs someone by her right now."

I narrowed my eyes at the dirt. "You don't know what happened, Sam." _Casey didn't only lose her mother, she also lost one of her best friends _because of me_!_

"True. But if the date on your father's side is correct, he passed away fairly recently, no?" I nodded. "Was your friend there to support you through it?"

I bit my lip. "She was one of the first people to know—aside from my family."

Sam shot me a look. "See? She was there for you when your dad passed away; so why don't you be there for her?"

_Because I'm the one responsible for killing Casey's mom to begin with! _I thought harshly. "It's... complicated, Sam. That's all."

Sam scoffed. "What's 'complicated' about it, Em?"

"It just is."

"Geezus, you're stubborn. What side of the family did you get _that _from?"

I smirked. "My mom's side."

Sam examined my mom's name for a moment before glancing down at her own soda. "Hm. Your mom's name reminds me of my soda."

I smirked. "My aunt said that she used to call my mom 'Cherri' just to piss my mom off." I smirked. "_Then _my aunt said this friend of theirs... I don't remember the name... gave my mom the nickname, 'Cherri-coke'." I laughed, hoping my mom didn't strike me down with a lightning bolt. "Weird, right?"

Sam chuckled quietly. "Ironic! You don't mind if I pay a little tribute to that, do you?"

I shook my head. "Go ahead. It's not like my mom is gonna rise up out of the grave to throttle my neck."

Sam grinned when she poured a bit of her soda on the grass. "Let's hope not, at least. Still, I think you should go to your friend. What're you doing here, thinking amongst the dead, when you could be helping the living? With all due respect, Em, the dead are dead. Leave them that way. They can't give advice and they sure as hell wouldn't want you to be wasting your time here when you've got something better to do."

I sighed. "I know, but, I can think better here."

"Who cares about thinking? Tell me: in all of recorded history, who were the ones recognized for what they did? The thinkers who twiddled their thumbs, or the people who acted? It's the same deal here. Don't stop and _think _for your friend: _act_ for them."

I sighed again. "I guess…" I closed my eyes for a moment. "Tyler liking his gun?" I asked in an attempt to change the topic.

Sam rubbed her head for a moment. "Yep. He's already hit me three times in the head."

"Kid has good aim," I said too quietly for Sam to hear. "I guess you're right, though." I rubbed my head for a moment. "Are you _sure _you don't want me to help find your 'rents?"

Sam shook her head. "If they haven't come forward by now, they're not worth finding." Sam sighed. "I guess we should be going now. Don't stay too long here, all right? Your friend's probably lonely."

I stood up and offered Sam a hand. "Yeah, I guess so. I can't be late for dinner either or my aunt will literally kick my ass into next week."

Sam grasped my hand and I hoisted her to her feet. "Nice tat," she said. "Didn't see it before."

I smiled. "Yeah… I lost a bet with my older brother a while back," I lied casually. "I'm getting him back for it." I grinned. "My aunt already reamed his ass for it—after reaming my ass for accepting the stupid bet."

Sam crossed her arms. "What're you gonna do to him?"

I snickered. "I can't tell you. Sorry."

"No worries—."

"Em!" Tyler called.

I spun around just in time to see Tyler running over to Sam and I. "Hey, Tyler!" I greeted. "You must be Ryan," I said to the older boy who was jogging to keep up with Tyler.

"Yep, that's me. You must be the runner that beat Sammy here the other week."

I noticed that Sam blushed at the nickname. "Hey, don't feel bad. My brothers call me 'Emmy' if they feel brave enough," I said to Sam.

"She's also the same runner that left us three-hundred dollars the other day," Sam quipped.

Ryan's eyes were wide for a moment. "Wow… Well, thank you for the money. We put it to good use, don't worry—."

I put a hand up. "Don't worry about using it wisely. It was the least I could do." I reached into my jeans pocket and unlocked Heather's car with a press of a button.

"Nice car," Ryan commented. "Is that a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid?!"

Sam groaned. "Great, here we go again with the car talk."

I smirked. "Well, it's my aunt's car. She took my car… _again_."

Ryan crossed his arms. "What kinda car do you drive?"

I opened my mouth to reply with my Mercedes but I figured that saying I owned a Mercedes wouldn't be the best idea—.

Sam sighed in irritation. "I think it was that red Mercedes that the older woman was driving, right Em?"

I glared at her. "Yeah, but I don't really drive it. Kinda impractical for New York City—unless I want it to get stolen." I crossed my arms. "I prefer motorbikes."

Now it was Ryan's turn to groan. "Oh great, let's go Sam. I want to get home before I end up joining my grandparents."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know bikes?" I asked.

Sam smiled. "_Love _them. They're faster than cars and you can outrun cops."

_Oh, I _definitely _like her, _I thought with a smile. "C'mon Sam, let's get going," Ryan muttered.

Sam laughed. "All right, all right. We can get going." Tyler took Sam's hand. "It was nice seeing you again Em. Take care."

"You too," I said as the three of them walked away. While they walked away, I thought I heard the low rumble of thunder above me. _I don't think my mom liked the cherry coke poured on her resting spot, _I thought with a slight edge.

When they were gone I said a quick good-bye (and an apology to my mom about the soda bit) to my parents and headed into the city. I parked in front of the apartment complex, removing my jacket and hiding it underneath the driver's seat. My weapons were in the trunk yet, so I didn't have to worry about my hidden blades or anything. Mentally preparing myself, I got out of the car and walked into the building, sighing in relief that the heaters were on. Sitting outside on the cold ground wasn't something I wanted to repeat anytime soon.

I reached the third floor and walked down the all until I reached the second-to-last door. I knocked twice, hoping she was home. If she wasn't, I would understand and just head home and wait for her to call or text me.

"Emma?" Frank said after a minute of waiting.

"Hi, Frank. Um, is Casey home?" I asked.

He nodded and let me in. "Yeah, she's in her room right now." He put a hand on my shoulder. His eyes, usually filled with happiness and vigor, was filled with grief and just… agony. "She really needs someone right now."

I nodded. "That's why I came by."

Frank nodded and walked out of the apartment, grabbing his hardhat before closing the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, I walked down the hall and knocked on the closed door. "Case? It's me." I bit my lip. "Can I come in?"

I waited all of four seconds before the door swung open to reveal Casey. Her eyes were blood-shot and all around she looked… _broken_. "What're you doing here?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"I came by because I thought you could use the company," I said. "If this is a bad time…"

"No!" Casey nearly screamed. "No, it's fine. I-I'm glad you came by," she said in a more controlled tone. I stole a glance into the room and saw that most of her room was in disarray, her floor was littered with tissues. Honestly, it looked like she just broke up with a boy instead of losing her mom. "Come in."

I sat on the edge of her bed. "Casey…" I began, staring at the floor. "I'm so sor—!" Casey lunged at me and held onto my so tightly I had a feeling she broke skin. Her shoulders were moving up and down erratically as sobs racked her body so hard that I thought she might break a rib or something. I didn't say anything as she cried. I sat there, hugging her.


	31. New Sibling, Old Enemies

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:**

**New Sibling, Old Enemies  
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In the days that followed Tanner's and Mrs. Thrones' deaths, I'd spent most of that time with Casey. Helping her come to terms with what happened, trying to apologize over and over for what happened, and not to mention fighting the legal system (and no, I don't mean the police) _and _dealing with the funeral arrangements. The funeral was tough, especially when we had to lie about _how _Mrs. Thrones died.

Turned out, when Mrs. Thrones died, she had a will made up so that if she died and Casey was still considered a minor, Casey had to move to _Texas _to live with her aunt Sandra. Now, I barely held in a tantrum that'd probably put most toddlers to shame, while Casey nearly stabbed the lawyer in the throat with one of his pens. (Honestly, I didn't know what this Sandra woman was like but I didn't really want to know). The only reason why Casey would've had to move to Texas to live with her aunt, is because Frank (even though he married Casey's mom) wasn't able to provide for her and himself.

So after calling up Heather to meet Casey and I at the office, she _somehow _managed to convince the lawyer to let her adopt Casey as a daughter. I was all for it, Erik was _really _happy, and Derek… well let's just say Derek shrugged and gave Casey a grin that sent a shiver of fear down my spine—fear for Casey's safety.

Frank had moved back to Maine and found a job as a construction worker; his boss at the WTC didn't seem too happy with the sudden resignation, but after Frank explained what happened, his boss gave his condolences to Casey and him.

Today though, I had spent the better part of the day helping Casey pack up her things. She didn't have _that _much stuff (a lot of clothes though), but her belongings had filled up two bags and a carry-on. Now, Casey and I were driving back to my place, where (hopefully) Heather and the boys finished cleaning out one of the spare bedrooms downstairs. We mostly used those rooms for storage, but if we had company (family, friends, etc.) we'd clean them out.

"Welcome home," I sighed, turning the car off as we came to a stop in my driveway.

Casey stared at the home for a moment. Sure, she spent countless hours here before and had sleep-overs when we were younger, but, now she was staring at her _new home_. Without a word, Casey got out of the car and grabbed her bag while I got out and opened the trunk, removing the other bag.

"Hey! Der!" I screamed. Derek came running around the side of the house, nearly falling on his ass when I hurled the carry-on at him. "Time to play bell-boy!"

"Jackass!" He grunted. "What the hell is in here?!"

Casey grinned. "Shirts, shoes, pants, skirts, bras, pantie—."

"OKAY!" Derek shouted, stopping Casey from finishing. "Did _not _need to know that!"

I snickered, draping my arm around my friend's shoulders. "Oh yeah, you'll fit in around here."

Derek glowered at the two of us. "She's not exempt from the pranking rule is she?"

Casey paled for a moment when she glanced at me. She knew Derek, Erik, and I pulled some pretty hardcore pranks on each other. "For the first two months she is," I replied. "Gotta get her settled before we _officially _welcome her to the family."

Derek walked in ahead of us, growling under his breath while he walked down the steps, only to return a few moments later. "Is she afraid of spiders?" he whispered into my ear, eyeing Casey.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Ask her, dipshit!"

"You afraid of spiders, Case?" he asked her.

Casey shook her head. "Nope."

"Good," Derek replied with a grin.

When he disappeared into the house, Casey and I walked down the staris. "Why'd he ask me that?"

I swallowed nervously. "No reason... just make sure you keep a weapon on you at all times," I said as we descended the stairs.

"_Oh my god_!" Casey exclaimed when she came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. "This is your _basement_?!"

I reddened a lot at the outburst. "Y-Yeah," I stammered, setting Casey's bag on the ground next to me.

I glanced around the lower level of the home. When my 'rents first bought the property, it was run down and a mess. Over the years (and the money my dad was getting from being a high-ranking Master) my 'rents had renovated the entire home. Adding secret spaces that would eventually turn into storage spaces for our Assassin gear, refurbishing old wood… The basement was really the only thing my 'rents had really ever fought over (according to Heather that is).

My mom wanted it to be a nice little space to read and relax. My dad… he wanted it to be a man cave. Guess who won _that _argument? No, not my mom, not my dad. The kids did. At first, it was what my mom wanted it to be, but as Derek and I grew—add Erik to the mix when Heather joined the family in '97—it went from a relaxing area, to a playroom, to a war-zone of toys and other things, to the game-slash-family room. There was a PS3, an Xbox 360, and a Wii. We had a computer upstairs in the den. A tan leather couch was resting against one of the walls, a love seat opposite of it, while three gaming chairs were to the side, out of the way until someone was down here playing either Call of Duty or Need for Speed.

Of course, after a bad report card from Derek's school, my father insisted some bookshelves be put down there so when the boys (and me) got bad grades and our gaming privileges were revoked until our grades improved. Because let's face, it: if we were grounded and didn't have something to keep ourselves busy, we ended up destroying things or nearly killing each other with sparring matches (which resulted in weapons being removed from the home until the grounding was over with).

"This is amazing!" Casey breathed, taking in the large area. "It's like an apartment down here!"

I laughed. "Yeah, there's a spare shower over there," I said as I pointed to a smaller room with a sink and toilet, "and over here is your room. We use it mostly for storage, but hey, Heather will find any excuse to clean this place up."

Casey nearly tripped over herself to get to the room and she squealed (causing Heather to rush down the stairs, Erik nearly tackled his mother to the ground, and I covered my ears). "This is fucking unbelievable!"

"What?" Heather said, rubbing her head.

"This room!" Casey exclaimed. "It's so big!"

I facepalmed at the same time Erik did. "Right," Erik muttered. "You lived in an apartment."

Casey nodded. She walked in a few moments later, setting her bags down on top of the bed. "I thought you might like the full-sized bed more than a twin-sized," Heather said gently, leaning against the doorframe. "Everything else was just sitting around after Cheryl finished refurbishing it—I swear that woman would've made a fortune on owning a restoration business."

I smirked. "I find it funny how my mom restored things and Derek and I _destroy _things. Is that my dad's influence, yours, or some freaky centuries-old gene that decided to activate _now_?"

Heather laughed once before heading back upstairs to finish whatever it was that she was working on before Casey's scream. When she was gone, Erik decided he was going to play some Call of Duty so he gravitated towards the Xbox 360.

"When I'm done helping Casey," I called to him, "I'm gonna show you how it's done!"

"All right! So should I set the difficulty to beginner then?" Erik called back.

I narrowed my eyes at him, sticking my tongue out in the process.

"You two must get along _so _well," Casey smiled, opening the dresser and setting her personal clothing in the first drawer.

I Shrugged. "It's a love-hate relationship." I opened up one of her other bags and started hanging up the clothes that needed to be hung up. "Have a certain order for these things?" I asked, holding up one of her dresses.

She shook her head. "I can take care of organizing them later, just hang them up."

With a sigh, I hung up the dress and started on the next. "Case," I began, "I'm sorry."

"Why do you keep apologizing to _me_? It's not your fault that... this happened."

I sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the carpet flooring. "If I wasn't so arrogant that day in the alley... _none _of this would've happened. Tanner wouldn't be dead and your mom..." my voice faded for a moment. "...your mom would still be here."

"I don't hold you responsible—."

"FUCK!" Erik screamed at the top of his lungs.

Casey and I rushed out of the room to see him fiddling with the Xbox. "What?!" I exclaimed.

"We got the 'red ring of death'!" Erik moved aside and I spotted the red ring.

"Damn it," I muttered. "And I'm pretty sure we can't get it fixed for a bit."

Erik sighed, crossing his arms. "You wanna go dirt biking?" he asked me. "I upgraded the bikes a few days ago and that track is starting to grow weeds."

I laughed. "Sure, just let me finish helping Casey unpack and I'll meet you out there."

Erik beamed before turning off our ruined Xbox and going upstairs. When he was gone, Casey shot me a look. "Dirt biking? When do you own dirt bikes?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "You know how I have the money, I just choose not to flaunt it?" Casey nodded. "Well... when it comes to bikes, I have to indulge a little bit. My dad didn't mind _that _much, since I only got a new bike when I saved up for half of it."

"Wow," Casey muttered. "Can I watch?"

I laughed. "Sure. I think Erik might get Der and Heather to join. We like to race each other for the hell of it."

"_Heather_ rides dirt bikes? I didn't think she was the type."

"Me neither, but you learn something new everyday."

Casey and I returned to her new room, unpacking and putting things away. We didn't really talk, seeing as how I wanted to finish as fast as I could so I could get changed and outside. I didn't mind spending time indoors, but when you have horses, bikes, and a large property with _a lot _of climbable trees... staying inside wasn't an option for me.

After I finished helping Casey, I was pulling a jacket on, about to join my brothers and aunt near the dirt track that we made a few years back, when the damned phone went off. Frowning, I checked the caller I.D to see it coming up as "Unknown".

"Hello?" I answered the phone, my voice unsure.

_"Miss Hale," _William's monotone greeted. _Fuck._

"What do you want?" I asked.

_"I was hoping you weren't busy. One of the patrol teams just called in, saying they spotted a Templar near your high school."_

I growled under my breath. "Then tell them to go after the son of a bitch."

_"I would, but they already finished their patrol."_

I rubbed my eyes. "I have off today. Find someone else."

_"All the other teams are busy at the moment. I'm afraid your vacation is over for the moment."_

"You sound _so _upset." _Fuck you, William, _I thought bitterly.

_"Yes, my heart just _aches_ with the fact that I'm making you work on your day off. Take your apprentice with you."_

I flipped him off, knowing he couldn't see me. "I'll be there when I can." William hung up without another word. "Asshole."

I hung up the phone and let out a frustrated scream. "What's wrong?" Heather asked.

"The asshole just called me into action, that's what happened," I muttered, stalking up the steps. "Get Casey briefed, she's coming with me!" I called down the steps.

_/-\_

"Is there a reason why we have to come back to school?" Casey growled. "It's creepy enough having to come here during the day. It's flat out scary when it's abandoned!"

I shrugged, toying with a throwing knife. "Dear old William thinks that a Templar is hanging around here, so he wants us to check it out. It'll give you some practice at least." I gestured to the school.

With a sigh, Casey and I began scouting the perimeter of the building. She was on the south end while I was on the west side of the building. I activated my Eagle Vision once or twice, just to see if it actually worked (it did). I found a faint trail that seemed to go into the building itself.

"Hey, Case," I said, pressing the Bluetooth. "I think I got something."

_"On my way," _Casey replied.

I leaned against the side of the building, waiting for my friend to appear when I turned my head and spotted a shadow moving _inside _of the school. "Hey, Case?" I said, pressing my Bluetooth, "Are there any clubs that meet after school?"

_"Besides the Chess Club? No one."_

My brow furrowed. "Does the Chess Club meet on Tuesday's normally?"

_"No, they have a tournament today."_

"Exactly, _how _do you know all this?" I asked.

_"Erm... I _might've_ briefly dated one of the Chess Club members..."  
><em>

I shook my head, laughing silently. "Just hurry up."

Casey appeared a few minutes later and I could feel the death glare she was sending my way. "How're we gonna get in there?" she asked. "They have cameras in every hall!"

I flicked my wrist. "The hidden blade isn't only designed for killing, you know." We walked up to the doors and I crouched by the lock. "God, this school needs to upgrade their security system..." I growled as I toyed with the lock.

"The cameras..." Casey moaned.

I sighed. "The Tech Team took care of the alarms and cameras. The cameras are looping old footage right now," I said while picking the lock. _Click! _"About fucking time," I growled as I stood, retracting my blade and walking into the building.

The halls were deserted, a few stray pieces of paper that the janitors probably didn't bother to pick up. "What's the plan?" Casey asked.

"I'll take the first floor and you take the second. Normally I wouldn't have you go alone, but this needs to be quick. No telling if a teacher shows up unexpectedly to grade some papers or projects," I instructed. "I'll try to be quick about it."

Nodding once, Casey darted for the second floor while I activated my Eagle Vision and examined _everything_. I turned down a hall, entering the junior hallway, when I spotted a locker that was wide open. _Trap? _I wondered. Shrugging, I walked towards it, mindful that it could be a Templar trick.

Standing across from it, I narrowed my eyes. A thin, nearly translucent string used for fishing was attached to the locker, and above that? Was a net. From the humming noise it was emanating, it was electrified. "Amateur," I growled, kicking the locker closed and rolling away as the net hit the floor.

"Got you—!" I kicked the Templar in the stomach, causing them to hit the lockers on the other side of the hall.

"Not quite," I remarked as the Templar slid down the row of lockers.

They groaned as they rubbed their head to reveal black hair and tan skin. "Fucking bitch," they groaned again. From the tone of voice, I had a feeling this was a woman.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Take your pick," I grumbled.

I jumped back and to the side as the girl lunged at me, only to slam _face _first into the lockers behind me. Taking that as my chance, I ripped her hood from her face to reveal a _really _familiar face. _Rachel? Rachel is a Templar?! _My mind flashed back to when she had her wrist bandaged and it made sense. The Templars mark their own Master's too!

_Wait... _I thought with a sadistic smile. _Rachel is a _Templar _and I'm an_ Assassin_! _"Oh, this is gonna be _fun_." I cracked my knuckles.

Rachel lunged at me, trying to connect a punch or a kick to my body, but she only hit empty air. "Eeny meeny miny mo, catch a Templar by the toe, if they holler, _slit their throat_!" I chortled while ducking from another punch. Derek had come up with that little tune when we were at Training Camp one year and someone started singing that song.

"Fuck you!" she snarled.

Smiling widely, I moved behind her, confusing Rachel. Sticking my tongue out at her back, I grabbed her shoulders, dislocated them, and threw her onto the still electrified net. She screamed in agony as volts of electricity coursed through her veins and as her shoulders were dislodged from their sockets. It obviously wasn't enough to kill her, but it was enough to cause severe pain.

"Had enough?" I taunted.

Rachel groaned, her body twitching as I carefully moved her away from the net and onto the tiled floor. Without another word, I began to remove her weapons and toss them to the side. "I... will... kill you," she spat, her facial muscles still spasming.

I shrugged. "Maybe you will. _One day_." I flicked my wrist and pressed my blade against her throat. "God, I've been waiting for this moment for a _long time_." I stared at Rachel. She was scared, her eyes betrayed her. "I thought you were an innocent... guess I was wrong."

Rachel bared her teeth at me. "What... are you... t-talking about?" she growled.

I laughed. "Never mind." I flicked my other wrist and crisscrossed my blades so both tips were pointing at her neck. "But was it really worth killing that woman the other day?"

"Was it worth killing Tanner, Emma?" Rachel replied.

I narrowed my eyes. "How'd you know it was me?"

Rachel grinned. "It was so _easy _to corrupt one of your own that they spilled _everything _to the Templars."

I bared my teeth. "You deserve to die. I'd be doing not only the world and my Order a favor... I'd be doing this school a favor."

Rachel laughed. "Go ahead, kill me. It's what you're trained to do, right? I've never met an Assassin that spares their targets."

_"Emma!" _Casey's voice entered my ear. _"A teacher just walked in!"_

I growled insults under my breath, I retracted my blades, giving Rachel the second she needed to regain her strength. But I grabbed her forehead and bashed her skull to the ground. Effectively knocking her out cold. "I'll deal with you and the traitor... later."

I got up and sprinted for the nearest exit.


	32. The Surprises Just Keep Coming

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:**

**The Surprises Just Keep Coming**

**LOCATION: NEW YORK STATE**

**DATE: DECEMBER 2011**

The first week of December… Sure as hell didn't feel like the first week of December to say the least. I mean, New York State and New York City haven't had _one _major snow storm yet! Usually there'd be snow up to your knees by now!

While I carefully drove to school on the ice-covered highway (it rained then froze over), Casey kept her eyes firmly set on the windshield; a dark look set on her face.

Casey and I managed to get out of the school without being noticed by the teacher. However, the same couldn't be said for Rachel. The teacher that came in, Mr. Burke, found Rachel in the junior hallway groaning in pain as she started to come around. He _tried _to coax some answers out of her, but I didn't think she remembered what happened. Between getting a proper (and long overdue) beat-down and being electrified by her own trap… I think Rachel would be out of it for a while yet. It still didn't stop Mr. Burke from calling 9-1-1 and having the police show up and investigate.

On the bright side, the officers that did show up were rookies and didn't know how to properly investigate a crime scene (which in turn saved me a trip to see the Assassin lawyers), so I didn't have to worry about being dragged to the station and being asked questions.

"This fucking sucks!" Casey complained while pulling her jacket tighter over herself. "I mean, it's freakin' _December _for crying out loud!" Her eyes narrowed at the bare trees and bleak grey clouds that seemed to just sit there and tease us.

I sighed as I pulled off the highway and onto one of the main streets. "I know," I muttered. "I've been _dying _to go snowboarding at the slopes and I _can't _because Mother Nature hates us!"

Casey giggled quietly while she was going through her bag. "Did you have to do a report for Mr. Adams' class when you had him last semester?"

My brow furrowed. "Which report?" Mr. Adams was the Personal Finance teacher and was notorious for making his students write reports on stocks.

"About the New York Stock Exchange." Casey pursed her lips while staring at her report then me. "Did the Assassin's have anything to do with that—during the Great Depression?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Do I _look _like I'm Emily Prince?—don't answer that," I said quickly as Casey opened her mouth.

"Kind of," she replied with a smile. "You sort of do! The hair for one."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah; what would you do if I had an ancestor that was a prostitute?"

"Mock you until you died," Casey said with a light laugh.

I huffed as I turned onto the street that'd take us to our school. "Figures…"

We arrived at the school a while later. I cussed vehemently when the boys on the sidewalk were staring at my car. _I had to get the damned Mercedes_, I thought while resting my forehead against the steering wheel.

"Shit, Em," Casey said while she put her hat on, "I'm surprised you don't have a boyfriend right now!"

I growled at her. "They like the car, not the driver."

"Act a little more girly and they might like the driver," Casey teased.

I glowered at her. "I'll meet you inside the school."

Shaking her head, Casey left the warmth of my car and dashed for the safety of the school. There was a reason I sent her in before me: I wanted to know if Rachel's little mishap reached the students' ears yet. And if the news did, how much do these kids know?

I counted to one-hundred before I turned the engine off and ran for the school.

"Em!" a guy, Aaron Garrison, called. "Sweet ride!"

"Thanks!" I shouted while I hustled to the building. Aaron wasn't an Assassin or Templar, but we were in the same grade.

I embraced the warmth that the school's heaters were generating and walked to my locker to see Casey standing there, waiting for me. "What took you so long?"

I shrugged. "I don't like the cold—_son of a bitch_!" I growled. "I forgot to charge my laptop!"

"Just grab a desk near an outlet and you're fine," Casey said while fixing her make-up.

"I'm amazed at how much you care about my grades," I said sardonically.

Casey smiled before finishing her make-up. "So," she said after a time, "how does this Assassin stuff work on holidays?"

I laughed quietly. "I'm always on call, Case," I said pointedly. "Which means _you _are always on call." I removed my coat and sweatshirt. "But it seems that William never needs me during Christmas—especially after the little incident at the Hudson River."

Casey groaned. "What did you do?"

I smirked while retrieving my books, folders, and laptop charger. "Well," I began innocently, "when the Mentor sends a fifteen-year-old girl after a Templar that happens to be breaking into a Assassin Faction Building (that had a helipad to boot), what do you think happens?!"

Casey tapped her chin. "Knowing you… mass chaos."

I laughed. "Bingo!" The warning bell rang, causing the students around the two of us to rush for their classes. "I can tell you all about it at lunch, all right?"

"Looking forward to it," was Casey's reply.

_/-\_

Lunch rolled around as usual and Erik slid into the seat across from me, smiling. "Hey, Em!" he greeted. "Rough day?"

I shook my head. "Casey asked what happened back in December of '08."

Erik started laughing. "I remember that! Bill hasn't trusted you since!"

"Shut it!" I hissed as a few students passed us, two of them waving while the others ignored us.

"Sorry, Em."

I huffed while pushing my lunch around on my plate.

"I'm here!" Casey breathed as she slid into the seat next to me. "And I'm ready to hear that story!"

I facepalmed. "It's an interesting story and keep in mind that this was before Heather and I were on good terms."

Erik snickered while taking a swig from his water.

* * *

><p><strong>LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY<strong>

**DATE: DECEMBER 2008**

It was a week before Christmas and everything was pretty quiet. Derek was out snowmobiling around the property, Erik was downstairs playing _Need for Speed_, Heather was on the computer doing whatever it was that she did on there, while my dad and I were working on my history homework.

"God… I _hate _this class," I muttered.

He laughed while rubbing my back. "You just hate the fact that all the things you're reading are _wrong_."

I glowered at my dad. "And you couldn't be a teacher, why?"

He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. "Just get through this and you can go bug Derek."

I chuckled but bore through the Revolutionary War. "Christ… Wasn't this when Haytham Kenway was the top dog for the Templars?"

"And it was also when his son, Connor or less commonly known as Ratonhnhaké:ton, brought the Assassins back to power," my father said in that monotone he had when he was teaching me a lesson.

"Uh-huh…" I sighed while writing some facts down. "Didn't you say mom's ancestor lived during that time in Philadelphia?"

"Oh, so you pay attention to your _mom's _side of the family but not mine?" my dad chided. I shrugged. "Yes, your mother's ancestors lived during this time. Shay Johnson lived during the Revolution Era. Her mother wasn't an Assassin, her father was. So he trained her."

"And Shay's grandmother?"

My dad shrugged. "Your mom never really dug that deep into _that _time period of her history. But she had an odd fascination with Syria and Egypt."

"Sounds awesome," I replied. "Ugh! Can't I just go into an Animus and relive these moments?! It'd be less painful!"

"Emma," my father said in a firm tone.

"Kidding!" I replied.

My dad huffed and messed up my hair while I studied.

I was almost done with my homework when our phone went off. "Oh perfect," I moaned. "Jackass is calling?"

"Emma, be nice." My father answered the phone. "Hale residence." It was quiet for a moment while Bill talked with my father. There was the occasional "Uh-huh" and "Okay" but nothing that'd clue me into what was being said.

I closed my history book and put it away in my pack when my dad addressed me again. "Em, you have a mission tonight."

I glanced outside. "It's below freezing!" I complained.

"_Emma Hale _is complaining about a mission?! Mom! You owe me ten bucks!" Erik screamed from the basement. I heard Heather grumble something about betting against her son, but moments later, she stalked from the office and down the steps.

"Shut up!" I hollered back.

My dad had an amused smile on his face. "I also bet Erik ten bucks. Derek will take you. Bill said you'll have back-up, but they won't show themselves unless they absolutely need to intervene. You're not a Master yet."

"Yet," I said firmly.

My dad chuckled while rifling through his wallet. "Go, I'll be waiting to hear of your success, Miss Hale—."

"Shut up!" I said playfully while rushing up to my room to grab my grey jacket, gloves, and weapons. Before donning my Assassin gear, I changed into some underarmor clothes and putting my jeans and shirt back on after. I put my hidden blades on before my jacket, slid my jacket on, put my dagger sheath on my leg, and secured the belt that held my throwing knives around my waist. I'd get a gun when I was eighteen.

Derek was waiting for me in the car and before I could put a seatbelt on, we were speeding towards the city.

"So is this your trial or something?" Derek asked.

"I don't know. I don't make the rules!"

Derek snorted while changing lanes. "You never know, Em. You've proven yourself ten-times over and William still hasn't done anything!"

"Let him be a dick. He's good at it."

Derek laughed at the remark but otherwise briefed me on what I was going to be doing: a simple assassination. It turned out that a Templar had gotten past the security in the Hudson River Faction building and was trying to get some information from a computer. But he tripped a silent alarm as soon as he tried logging in to the computer he needed.

"Remember, you'll have back-up—."

"That won't help unless I need it!" I reminded him.

Derek shrugged. "Which is why I think this is your trial. The same thing happened with me six months ago!"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I just want to get in and out without a problem."

Derek shot me a look. "Em, you're hunting a Templar. There's gonna be problems."

"A girl can dream."

A while later, Derek pulled the car over a few blocks from the building. "Be careful, Em," Derek said as I got out of the car.

I closed the door and leaned down as Derek lowered the window. "No worries, Der. I'll be fine. Keep watch though."

"Of course… _Emmy_," Derek said before speeding away.

I jogged through the alleys until I reached the building and spotted the access panel. _1478. _The green light lit up and the door opened silently, giving me access. All Assassins had access to the Faction Buildings. My code was: 1478 for some reason.

I pulled my hood over my face and carefully began scouting the first floor, knowing full well that the computer that was being hacked was a floor above me. I pressed my Bluetooth to see if I could communicate with the back-up, but there was static.

"Fucking perfect," I growled as I turned my Bluetooth off.

The first floor was clear so I took the stairs and rested next to the door. I prayed to whoever was listening and opened the door, bolting for a desk in case the Templar saw me come in. I felt something or someone watching me and I turned my head to see a pair of gold eyes staring at me. I blinked again and they were gone.

"What the hell?" I whispered.

I made to move, when I heard something.

"FUCK!"

I edged to the end of the desk I was hiding behind and saw a lean man with glasses hunched over a computer.

"Stupid codes! Why can't these asshole's just leave themselves logged in?!"

I stood and flicked my wrist. "Because this wouldn't be much fun," I said as I lodged a throwing knife into the man's hand.

The Templar screamed as he removed my knife and tossed it to the ground. It was pretty dark, except for the few lights that were left on. The Templar looked to be in his mid-thirties, perhaps late-thirties with the grays that were starting to show.

"Shit!" he exclaimed the same time I ran at him.

I ducked as he threw a book at my head (and I thought I heard someone laughing behind me). Ignoring the noise, I kept pace with the Templar and jumped from desk-to-desk until I was right on top of him. Using my momentum, I jumped for him, only to overshoot and land in front of him.

"Damn it!" I hissed as I stood and connected a fist to the man's stomach. He grunted and staggered back before shoving me into a desk.

"ASS!" I hollered while chasing him.

"You fucking bitch!" he shouted as he spun and made his way for the stairwell. _NO! _

I upped my pace but felt my lungs threatening to collapse. _God no, I can't stop! _I pushed my legs to go faster and I reached my hand out to grab the Templar's throat but grasped empty air.

I didn't stop to catch my breath (I was treating this as if this was my trial) and started taking the steps two at a time with the occasional free-running against a wall to propel myself up a little bit farther.

The Templar shoved the metal door open that'd lead to the helipad. _Shit! _My throat closed at the reminder that Bill had his chopper here. If the Templar got it… I shook my head and burst through the door and skidded to a stop as the man pulled out a pistol and aimed it at me.

"One more step and you die," he growled as blood dripped from his wounded hand. "Now don't move or I shoot!"

I remained where I was as the Templar backed up to the helicopter. I bared my teeth at the cowards while I stood there. When he was inside and the pistol gone, I bolted for the chopper, only to duck when a bullet hit the side of the helicopter. I whirled and saw a sniper rifle aimed at me.

"Oh _come on_!" I groaned as I scurried for the nearest cover. I poked my head from where I was (which was behind some old crates) and pulled back when the sniper fired again.

I pressed my Bluetooth and it picked up.

_"What's up?" _the voice said casually. _That voice…_

"I need some help! They have a sniper and I'm pinned!"

It was quiet for a moment. _"On my way up."_

"UP?!" I hollered and ducked as a bullet it the crates.

The person didn't respond but a few seconds later, I heard a grunt and a: "All clear" from the Assassin.

"Thanks!" I called.

I glanced at the helicopter and realized that it was almost ready to take off. I shot from where I was standing and raced towards the rising chopper. I wouldn't let this Templar get away, it's not in my nature to give up.

"NO! STOP!" the Assassin screamed just as I launched myself into the air and spread my arms out.

I glance down and spotted the blackness that was the Hudson River below me. For a moment, I thought I had just killed myself. There was nothing below me; there was no one to call for help. I was alone. But, before panic set in, my arms wrapped around one of the landing skids, my legs dangling in the empty air.

_"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!" _the Assassin exclaimed from the roof of the building.

I ignored them as I hoisted myself up and moved so I was straddling the skid. I kept my head low so that the Templar wouldn't see his new passenger. I glanced down below. The buildings were becoming smaller and smaller as the chopper lifted into the air.

"Okay, that's high enough," I sighed. Cautiously, I perched myself on the landing skid and opened the door.

"What the fuck—?!"

My fist connected with the Templars jaw, forcing his head to hit the "off" button for auto pilot. "Son of a bitch!" I groaned, shoving the Templar out of the seat. Before I took the controls, I glanced at the Templar. "Rest in peace." Easily enough, I stabbed the Templar in the throat, ending his life rather quickly.

_"Emma! Where are you?!" _Derek screamed. _"Your back-up couldn't coherently explain to me what happened!"_

I laughed nervously as I tried to stop the chopper from spinning out of control (and failing miserably at it). "Um… you see the chopper above the Hudson?" I asked while trying to steady out the chopper. One foot was planted against the control panel as I pulled the steering thing so I could steady it. _Damn it! I need to start lifting more! _I growled mentally.

_"Yeah… why…?" _

I grunted when the chopper finally steadied out. "Gimme a moment."

As quickly as I could, I grabbed the dead Templar and opened the side door on the chopper. "Have a nice swim!" I called down as the body fell towards the murky waters below. I nearly followed after him, seeing as how no one was at the controls. Stumbling back over to the controls, I sat down and started doing everything I could to stop the chopper from crashing.

_"You're in the chopper? Em! You don't know how to drive that thing!" _

"Neither do you but would that stop you? I don't think so! Just get a paramedic ready in case I decide to crash and burn!"

I heard Derek groan as he signed off. "Okay, Em. What the fuck did dad tell you the other time…?"

My dad was good with vehicles, cars more so than choppers, but he told me something about them… God, what was it?!

_"Get low enough that you can jump, but high enough that you can jump far from the chopper."_

My eyes widened at the information and I started doing everything (hopefully) right as I made the chopper descend towards the water. Luckily, it was pitch black out, aside from the half-moon, so I didn't have to worry about cops or civilians spotting me.

"Oh if Number Four saw me now," I muttered sarcastically. I went from an arrogant seven-year-old who liked to spar with Master's to a suicidal fifteen-year-old who loves to drive aircraft without a pilot's license!

When the chopper was low enough, I raced to the side door and dove into the murky waters below. The water was _freezing _this time of year and I hoped Derek had called some back-up. I broke the surface of the water, not even bothering to see the chopper hit the water, as I began swimming towards the docks.

"Em!" Heather called from a raft that was heading my way. A spot-light was trained on me. "Thank God you're okay."

"Yeah," I replied darkly when she offered her hand and I took it. I took my jacket off, trying to get the wet stuff off before I died of hypothermia. Heather wrapped a couple different blankets around me, only to nearly jump when we heard a loud _splash_.

"Well… William will hate you. But if you got rid of the Templar, then he can suck it up," Heather said.

My eyes widened. "I just crashed William's chopper?" I knew it was Bill's… but I thought the chopper would be salvageable!

Heather nodded.

"Cool," I replied while pulling the blanket tighter around me.

The Assassin driving the rescue raft stole a glance back at me, a smile on her—_her_?—face. "Not bad, kid. I'd give that dive an eight out of ten. Just wait for me to actually talk with you next time."

I chuckled. "It was more like a Leap of Faith if you ask me." I paused. "You were my back-up?"

Before the driver could respond, the other Assassin with Heather spoke up. "Christ Heather, if Bill doesn't give Emma the Master rank _now _I don't know what he plans on doing!"

"Emma's not old enough for her trial," Heather said. _So this wasn't my trial then…_

The other Assassin snorted. "Doesn't matter. Emma basically went (literally) above what was expected of her. I'm going to put a word in for her."

Heather must've been scowling. "Stephan and William will discuss what happens with Emma's rank, Josh."

"W-Will y-you t-t-two ju-just sh-shu-shut up?!" I stammered as the cold started to seep into my bones. I didn't care if I achieved my Master rank. I wanted to go home and get _warm_.

"Don't worry, kid," the Assassin driving said. "I'll get you out of here quick."

"T-T-Th-Thank y-y-y-you!" I muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>DATE: DECEMBER 2011<strong>

**LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY**

"Holy shit, Emma," Casey hissed. "You shouldn't even be alive with what you've been through!"

I laughed quietly. "I guess someone up there," I said pointing to the sky, "is looking out for me—what in the world?!"

Erik's brow furrowed. "What's wrong, Em?"

"Em?" Casey asked.

"Rachel… she's _back_."

Erik hissed while Casey froze. "That's impossible! You nearly broke her shoulders and gave her a concussion! Not to mention she was ele—!" I slapped a hand over Casey's mouth as Rachel passed, shooting me her infamous glare (on the inside I was laughing at her).

"This _is not _good," Erik muttered. "I don't like this at all, Em."

"Neither do I." I lowered my voice. "I think this traitor is getting ready to make their move."

"Against _who_?" Erik asked.

I crossed my arms. "If I can take a guess? Me—or the entire family for all I know."

Casey pursed her lips. "I think this traitor is after you, Emma. I mean, they turned Tanner against you, killed my… my mom," Casey said quietly. "If you look at it from a different perspective, this traitor is trying to take everything away from you."

I frowned. "I-I… I don't get it. Why _me_? Why do I have to deal with this?"

Erik huffed. "It has to be someone that you know personally, Emma. That's the only explanation."

I noticed the dark look between Erik and Casey. "For the love of God!" I hissed. "It's _not her_!"

Casey groaned. "You don't know that!" She crossed her arms. "Everyone is guilty until proven innocent!"

I snorted. "We aren't the NYPD."

Casey growled. "I still think she's behind this."


	33. Attention Readers!

**Attention Readers:**

It's official! I have started the rewrite of _Assassin's Creed Generation Y_! If you want to continue reading this current version, feel free to send a PM and we can work something out, as chapters from this story will be removed starting tonight.

I would like to thank everyone that has read, reviewed, followed, favorite, etc since I first posted this story and I hope you'll do the same with the new version.

Yours,

MasterAssassin2012


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